


Payback Series Bonus Scenes

by SpyroForLife



Series: Payback [3]
Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: BillDip, Blood, Death, Gore, Gorn, Human bill, Kink, M/M, NSFW, PTSD, Panic Attacks, Rape, Smut, Violence, cipherpines, dirty talking, erotic asphyxiation, noncon, the third one is seriously bad guys i'm sorry, triangle bill
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-09
Updated: 2016-09-11
Packaged: 2018-04-08 10:07:35
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 16
Words: 59,222
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4300686
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpyroForLife/pseuds/SpyroForLife
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A collection for any deleted/bonus scenes I decide to write for the Payback series, which includes Payment in Blood and Paying Recompense. These are scenes that for whatever reason, I decided didn't quite fit in the flow of the story and decided to remove, or just wrote separately altogether. Some may not quite fit into the storyline, in which case, it was probably written before I actually got to that point of the story. Regardless, I wanted to share these anyway. These may contain spoilers so be careful. As usual, read the tags and summaries, at least one of these scenes is quite horrible. Later scenes will actually be follow-ons to Paying Recompense that tell more of the story, so definitely take a look. Anyway, hope you enjoy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Fantasizing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dipper is frustrated and Bill doesn't really have a physical form to help him with. But that doesn't stop him from helping anyway.  
> There's no gore or violence in this one, just Bill helping Dipper out with adult problems. ;D  
> Word Count: 1783

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This scene is meant to take place at some point while Dipper is with his family in Piedmont, somewhere within Chapters 21 and 22 of Payment in Blood. It was written before I got to those chapters, so it's a little off, but I still like it.

Dipper curled around himself slightly, breath coming in harsh pants as he worked his hand along his length. It's been weeks since he was able to do this... Bill has kept him busy. But now Bill was giving him a night to rest, and he was taking advantage of it.

He raised his free hand to his mouth, biting onto his knuckles to hold in his moans. He jerked his hand faster, feeling heat and tightness in his groin, the pleasure only growing more intense as he got closer to his edge. He was trying to keep his mind clear, so as not to alert Bill to what he was doing, but it was difficult to not fantasize at least a little. Speaking of Bill... what was he doing right now? Making deals? Gathering knowledge? Deciding who their next victim will be? ...What would Bill do if he was here?

Dipper breathed shakily as he imagined Bill being with him. Watching him with that intelligent gaze. Would he enjoy it? Would it get him excited? Could Bill even get sexually excited in his natural form? He bit his lip, feeling his body tremble. No, Bill didn't really have a sense of touch in his natural form. If he felt lust, it would have to be non-physical. But... what if he got a physical body? Something full of nerves that he could sync with, and experience human bodily sensation? Considering how he had behaved while in Dipper's body years ago, Bill loved the sense of touch.

And Bill was attracted to him. He would hold his hand even if it didn't feel like anything to him, loop his arm through Dipper's, pet and hug him. If he had lips... he would probably kiss him.

Dipper imagined what that would be like. Would Bill kiss hard? He'd probably kiss hard and rough, using his teeth... breaking the skin and making him bleed... He swore softly; just thinking about that was getting him going. Wasn't going to be much longer...

He thought of his demon partner, wished he were here touching him, finding that it made this feel so much better... Oh, would Bill pin him down? He probably would... Pin him down and sink his teeth into him as he took him...

“Gaahh...” With a needy groan, he came onto his stroking hand. Panting, he slowly lifted his hand to his face, thoughtlessly licking the fluid away.

“That was attractive.”

Dipper's eyes shot open. Sitting up, he saw Bill floating nearby, leaning on his cane and watching him. His gaze was intense, and Dipper blushed and fumbled for an explanation. “B-Bill, how... how long have you been there?”

Bill's lower eyelid crinkled with amusement. “Long enough to see the whole show! You're one messed up kid!”

“Do you not understand the concept of privacy?” Dipper scowled, pulling his underwear back up.

“I'm always in your head anyway, I figured we were past privacy. So, you're pretty frustrated, huh?”

Dipper sighed. “Yeah. You know, eighteen, boy, virgin...”

“Oh, say no more.” Bill came to sit next to him. “We'll take care of that as soon as I get a body.”

“You want to sleep with me?”

“Well, yeah! Sex is fun! And I really like you, so I'd love to do that with you.”

“Oh. Cool. So...” Dipper fiddled with the covers, looking at Bill hesitantly. “So uh... what's your... style? Like, how would you...” He gestured vaguely.

“How would I have sex with you?”

Dipper blushed. “Yeah.”

“Well.” Bill sat up, turning to place his hands on Dipper's shoulders. Their warmth soaked into his bare skin. “Because I'm a gentleman, I would first give you the sweetest of kisses right on your lips, to tell you how much I love you.” He moved closer, resting on Dipper's lap. He had almost no weight to him.

Dipper's eyes drifted shut as he imagined that. A sweet kiss from Bill. That would be nice.

“I'll make sure you're comfortable, ready for me to continue...” Bill's hands moved down Dipper's sides. “Then I'd lay you back, climbing over you so we can see each other's faces...” His voice seemed to speak right into Dipper's ear, surprisingly low and seductive. “And then I'd fuck you until you scream.”

Dipper choked, face burning hot, covering his eyes. “Oh my God...”

Bill happily went into detail. “I'll move inside you slowly, pressing in until I can't go any further, and pulling out at an agonizing teasing pace... You'll squirm, wanting me to go faster, rubbing your body desperately against mine for the friction I'm not providing... And when your eyes are full of tears and you're beginning to beg for more, I'll give it to you. I'll push into you hard, and you'll arch your back to grind your body up against me. Your legs will tighten around my waist, and you'll whimper.”

By now, Dipper had dropped his hand into his underwear again, shaking fingers stroking his need. He was getting hard again. As he let out an unsteady breath, Bill continued.

“You'll whimper, and cry for me. You'll gasp with pleasure as I drive myself into that sweet spot inside you, your fingernails sinking into my skin because it's just too much and you can't take it. But I'll keep pushing you, and you wouldn't dream of telling me to stop or slow, no, you want it all.” Bill moved his hand down, covering Dipper's as it slid up and down his length. Then he brushed a finger over the human's tip, making him buck. “I would wreck you, Pine Tree.”

“God, Bill...” Dipper whined, pushing his hips forward as Bill's fingers darted nimbly over his tip, sliding under the head. “Please...”

“And eventually, you'll come completely undone,” Bill murmured. “You'll scream with pleasure as you come, and it will be for me... All for me. And I'll press my lips to yours and kiss you hard as I drink in your moans. And I'll reach my peak with you, filling you with my essence, marking you as mine inside and out.” He closed his own eye, growing excited thinking about it. “I can't wait...”

Dipper's hips ground up, and he panted against Bill's surface. “I'm so close... Bill, please, tell me more...”

Bill's hand pushed his aside, taking over the job of getting him off. He moaned and wrapped his arms around the demon, enjoying this so much that he hardly noticed how his sharp edges dug into the crooks of his elbows. He heard him whisper to him again.

“I'll make love to you whenever you want,” Bill said. “Whenever you want it, however you want it. I can do anything, from gently loving you in a bed, with my hands caressing your bare body and my lips inches from your ear as I whisper sweet nothings, or...” He moved his hand more firmly along Dipper, pleased with how his hips were moving in time. “Or I could slam you face first against a wall and rip your clothes off and fuck you right there.”

Dipper moaned, body tensing.

“So you're kinky, I see,” Bill commented, chuckling. “Good to know. I bet you'd like pain, huh? You'd like for me to drag my nails down your skin and cut it open? Slap you when you're not moving fast enough...” He opened his eye to see Dipper leaning his head back, mouth open as he panted. He leaned up to press slightly against the boy's neck. “If I had teeth right now, I would sink them into that pretty throat of yours.”

“A-ahh...”

“Sink my teeth into your flesh until I taste blood, grab your thighs so hard they bruise, and you'll enjoy every single touch you receive. Because Dipper Pines... I know you're a masochist.”

Bill's other hand, which Dipper hadn't even been paying attention to, suddenly contracted in the small of his back, and what felt like _claws_ dug sharply into his skin. Pain raced through him, combining beautifully with the pleasure he was already experiencing, and he was swept overboard. He cried out as he finished, before slumping forward against the demon. He panted, resting his face against one of his edges, ignoring how it cut into him. He was too tired to care.

Humming, Bill pulled his hand away and looked at the fluid, before twisting his wrist and making it vanish. He moved his arms around Dipper and stroked his back, laughing lightly. “Isn't that so much better with me here?”

“It is,” Dipper admitted. “You... certainly have a way with words. And I hope you live up to those standards you were setting for yourself.”

“Ah, when I get a body, I'll need to break it in, so our first time might be a bit rough. Not in the good way. But after that, it'll be amazing. Trust me.” Bill could feel Dipper swaying slightly in his arms and lowered him down, laying down next to him. Again, awkward with his current form, but neither really cared. Dipper snuggled close anyway, resting his face against him, probably to take advantage of his warmth. One of his arms moved over him too. “You should sleep, Pine Tree.”

“I will. Just...” Dipper yawned. “When are you going to get a body?”

“Well, I have to wait for just the right host to come along. But I'm working on it.”

“If we ever have to kill someone attractive, we can just... take the soul and you can have the body,” Dipper suggested.

“That is an idea,” Bill said. “But as you know, taking souls from living bodies is difficult. We'll have to convince the person to let you take it.”

“Or I can just wrestle it out anyway... I'm pretty strong.”

“Heh. Yeah, you are.”

“The body doesn't actually have to be attractive... it can be anyone. As long as you're in it, it'll be attractive enough. To me. And that's what matters.”

“Yes, but I do like looking good. Makes me easier to trust. I'll see if I can find someone tall and strong, and good looking. I can think of some already, but I'll go through my options and let you know.”

“All right.” Dipper yawned again, so Bill reached up to rest a hand on his head, stroking above his ear.

“Go to sleep, Pine Tree.” He used his sleep magic on him, and could feel him quickly drifting off.

“Goodnight, Bill,” Dipper said quietly, as his muscles relaxed.

“Goodnight, Dipper,” Bill replied, before the other finally fell asleep. He laid there with him for a while, then got up and hopped back into the Mindscape. He had some people to visit...


	2. Depraved

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dipper and Bill have gotten very comfortable with their relationship by now. As well as very comfortable with the killing. So of course, they decided to combine their passions.  
> Word Count: 3296

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay this is EXTREMELY not good, we've got sex, blood, gore, violence, a slim bit of necrophilia if you interpret it that way... basically Dipper and Bill get frisky right near the body of someone they've just murdered, and well... just read the title, it's all kinds of depraved. Tread lightly my friends. I'm gonna say this takes place somewhere around... hmm, probably by a little after Chapter 6 of Paying Recompense, just because it'd probably take that long to get THIS comfortable, but honestly you could imagine this at almost any point after Bill gets his human body. I wasn't thinking about a particular time frame, I just wanted to be disgusting, and I accomplished my goal. I am so sorry. This shouldn't really be spoiler-y though.

Well, he was going to hell.

That was a thought that has quite often crossed Dipper's mind, but never more than it was right now. This was... depraved. Absolutely sinful and vile. And he was enjoying every second of it.

Dipper cut another chunk of flesh off his latest victim, and as the man cried out and struggled in the magical ropes binding him, Bill swept his hand over the new wound and collected the fresh blood, before stroking Dipper's side. The human pressed into the warm, slick touch with relish, knife diving into his prey's skin again.

This time, Bill brought the blood up to Dipper's mouth, and Dipper licked it off. Bill's body pressed against his backside, and he could feel the other's arousal. Feeling blood drip from his lips, Dipper casually licked it away before leaning over the man, considering where he wanted to slice next.

Bill whispered into his ear, “If you cut his neck open I'll use the blood from his jugular vein as lube...”

That excited Dipper more than it should have. He raised the knife, slitting his victim's throat. The pressure caused blood to spray out, coating his face with its warmth, and he sighed with approval.

Movement, and Bill was grabbing him. Startled, Dipper let go of the body, and it fell limply to the ground. Bill straddled him, pushing him down roughly, and he noted the warmth seeping into the back of his shirt. That would be the man's blood. Soaking into him.

Dipper felt a twinge of pleasure just thinking about that.

Then he shifted his attention to Bill, Bill was between his legs and grinding against him, and he let out a shaky moan. A strong hand swept under his back, encouraging him to arch. Moments later, his shirt was being tugged off. He had already discarded his jacket; it got in the way earlier.

Bill let Dipper's torso drop back down into the puddle of blood, causing it to splash over both of them, and tossed the shirt aside. He admired how the boy looked, eyes alight with bloodlust and excitement. And maybe a certain other lust... Oh, he was so beautiful after a kill.

The demon pressed his lips to the other's, and Dipper eagerly responded, mouth parting slightly in an invitation for the other to kiss him deeper. He obliged, and Dipper could only hum in approval as Bill's tongue traced over his lips, before the demon was tilting his head and pressing closer, sliding his tongue over Dipper's. It was a wet, warm feeling that was almost gross, but this was Bill and Dipper loved every touch from the other, no matter what.

As he moved his own tongue sensually against the other's, his hands settled on Bill's back, tugging his shirt up and sinking his nails into bare skin. Bill gave a barely perceptible shiver. Not breaking away from Dipper, he raised a hand and snapped his fingers. Suddenly his shirt was gone, and Dipper slid his hands up toward Bill's shoulder blades. Then he dug his nails in, smirked against Bill's lips, and raked them all the way down.

Bill pulled away at that, gasping for breath and moaning. His body shuddered as Dipper's nails pressed into the dip of his back, and raised his rear into the motion as they reached his hips.

“Pine Tree,” he hissed, groaning as Dipper lifted his hands. The lines stung all the way down his back, the feeling so good that he ground his hips down into the other's for some friction to fuel his arousal.

“Bill,” Dipper answered cheekily.

“You're really asking for it, aren't you?”

“Uh, yeah. That's kinda the whole point.” Dipper wiggled his hips, pressing his arousal into the other's. He also noted how cool the blood under him was starting to feel. “If you want to use this blood you need to hurry, because it's gonna congeal.”

“Yes, of course.” Bill used his magic again, and now their pants and underwear were off, laying in a pile with their other clothes nearby.

Dipper shivered as cool air wafted over his body, but Bill's warmth was soon against him, and he relaxed under him. Bill leaned down, sinking his teeth into Dipper's neck and suckling, pleased when the boy mewled and pushed up against him. He felt his erection poke his thigh and felt the usual thrill that came with being desired. Dipper wanted him. That always made him feel powerful.

He let his teeth slip away from the other and looked him over, before scraping over his throat again, licking messily. He could do this with grace, but he knew that being clumsy and rough drove Dipper wild. And he responded as Bill hoped he would, whining softly and clawing at him.

“Isn't this filthy?” Bill murmured. He lifted one of his palms from the ground, holding it up as blood dripped from it. He slid this hand through Dipper's hair, and the human sighed quietly. “This is quite disgusting... Honestly, what the hell is wrong with you?”

Dipper chuckled, opening his eyes. “This was your idea.”

“But you're going along with it.”

“I respect my master's desires. If you want to fuck me in the blood of one of our victims then by all means... I'm yours.”

Bill inhaled sharply, and Dipper felt him rub against him slightly, obviously affected by that declaration. When he spoke, his voice was husky with arousal, making heat and want coil in Dipper's gut. “Well we're already wretched sinners in the eyes of most major religions... why stop there? Can you reach your knife?” Dipper picked it up. “Give.” Bill took it from him and leaned over toward the mutilated corpse next to them. He plunged the blade into the man's gut, tearing a deep gash into it. It didn't bleed since the heart wasn't beating, but the pressure of the knife forced blood out nonetheless. But that wasn't Bill's goal.

Humming cheerfully, Bill grasped the edge of the incision and tore it wider, reaching his hand in. After groping around, he grabbed and pulled. In his hand was a mass of intestines. They squished easily in his grip, slimy with blood and tissue. He tugged them out further, jerking the body a bit. He pulled until he found where the small intestine was attached to the stomach, and cut it free.

“Gross,” Dipper commented, wrinkling his nose. The smell was abhorrent.

“It is quite a stench, isn't it?” Bill agreed. He gathered up the length of organs until he had pulled a few feet free, and then turned to Dipper, lovingly caressing his cheek with the knife. “Your remember our safe word, right?”

“Yeah. Pyramid.”

“Good. Now let's see how long you're able to remember it.” Bill tugged the intestine over and looped it around Dipper's neck too fast for him to react, yanking harshly so Dipper gasped for breath. The human gagged at the smell, reaching up with a hand to reflexively grab the organ. It was soft and warm, and the texture made him feel nauseous. Especially pressed against his neck. But when Bill finished tying it and gave a pull that cut off his air completely, the lack of oxygen made his head go fuzzy, vision fading and other senses seeming to sharpen. The other's body pressed to his felt so much better, and he could hear Bill's breathing more clearly... it was ragged, almost like panting.

Just when Dipper was worried he might pass out, Bill's grip loosened and he was able to suck in air. Not much, but... enough. He was still pleasantly lightheaded, but he could speak.

“B-Bill, what...”

“Erotic asphyxiation,” Bill replied. “Do you like it or nah?”

“I... may need some time to get used to it...”

Bill coiled the intestines around his fist, getting a better grip before pulling on Dipper's neck again. It wasn't hard enough to stop his breathing, but the dangerous jolt excited him. This was risky... this was hot.

Dipper hummed and rutted against Bill's leg, giving him the most suggestive smile he could manage. “You can do better than that, right?”

“Simmer down, Pine Tree,” Bill warned. “I can and will wreck you.”

“Is that a promise?”

Bill set the knife a safe distance away, then swept his fingers through the blood on the floor. He wasted no time in working a finger inside of Dipper.

The boy swore and leaned his head back, grimacing. “That feels so weird... Like, the blood is... slippery almost, and so warm... Nn, it feels good, though...”

Bill pressed his finger to Dipper's prostate, smiling when he bucked. “Need me to do anything for you, pet?”

“Mm... What you're doing is just fi- aah!” Dipper groaned as he was choked again by the guts, squeezing his eyes shut.

“Well if you think of anything, let me know.” Bill pressed his finger in and out, soon adding a second and then a third, until the other was lying boneless underneath him, gasping and red in the face. Satisfied, Bill pulled his hand back and gathered up blood right from their victim's neck. “Still warm,” he purred, and Dipper trembled. He coated his length thoroughly with it, then mounted the other.

“This is so unhygienic,” Dipper mused, glancing down. He took in the sight of the entrails wrapped around his neck, the blood smeared down his body... the demon waiting patiently between his legs, holding onto the intestines and pulling them just tight enough that it was hard to breathe.

“So we'll take a nice, long shower later,” Bill replied. “Are you comfortable?”

Dipper nodded.

Not needing to hear anymore, Bill pushed into him. Dipper keened and arched up, legs wrapping around Bill's waist. As he gasped for breath, he felt the bindings around his neck pull, until his vision was fading out again and his lungs were burning for air. And again, the other sensations in his body seemed to intensify, and it was only his lack of air that was keeping him from screaming.

“Fuck, Pine Tree...” Bill hunched over him, dragging him close with one arm. He loosened his hold on Dipper, waited until he heard him breathe and felt his chest move, and immediately yanked again. As Dipper's chin fell back, Bill leaned forward and bit underneath it, carefully avoiding the organs.

“Bill, fuuck,” Dipper swore, arms tightening around his partner. He grunted softly as he was roughly thrust into, rolling his hips into Bill's. As the other plunged in deeper and harder, tears slipped from his eyes. He wanted to be able to beg for him, knowing how much of a turn on that was for the demon, but he didn't have the breath for it. He was being held on the brink of unconsciousness.

“Kid... if I let up, will you do it?” Bill asked in response to that thought, and Dipper's heart skipped a beat at just how much raw _need_ was in his voice. It made heat pulse through his body, and he coughed before nodding an affirmative.

The moment Bill loosened his grip and allowed the intestines to fall limply, Dipper was grabbing them with his own hand, pulling them away from his neck and wrapping them around Bill's.

“Kid?!” Bill was shocked for about a second, until Dipper smirked at him in a way that made him bite his lip in anticipation, and pulled.

Bill jerked as the intestines constricted around his throat, eyes falling shut and a moan forcing past his lips. He slammed harder into Dipper, and the boy pulled him forward in time with his thrusts.

“A-ah... Dipper...” Dipper's heart leapt at hearing his actual name, “that was good, I... I'm impressed... Nngh, it's hard to breathe...”

“Exactly,” Dipper whispered. “Keep going, demon. Faster.” He pulled more harshly, and his dick jumped when Bill actually whimpered. “You like that?”

“Yes...” Bill seemed to be focusing on breathing more than anything, but he was keeping himself moving at an impressive pace, rocking Dipper's body with each movement. Sweat was breaking out on his skin.

Dipper propped himself up on an arm, grinning. This was too much power. It was intoxicating. “It's about time you were my bitch for once...”

The nails Bill had been resting on his skin suddenly contracted, and next thing he knew, both of Bill's hands were on his chest and he was being slammed down flat on his back. He gasped in pain as the back of his head hit the floor, and he instinctively raised his hands to defend himself.

When there was only the same continued movement inside him, Dipper cracked an eyelid open and looked up, worried. The moment he did, Bill's lips crashed against his, kissing him fiercely. He kissed back, panting at the heat and pleasure building in his body, not wanting to ever separate from the other.

Bill muttered against his lips, “Now that's what I'm talking about, kid. Be confident with me. Don't let me scare you. It is so attractive when you show dominance.”

“So... you don't mind me calling you a bitch?”

“Not at all... I was only trying to scare you, and I'm disappointed that it worked. Try again.”

Dipper took a breath and grabbed hold of the entrails once more, pulling and savoring Bill's moan of approval. He resumed yanking on them in time with Bill's thrusts, also tugging with his legs each time the other plunged into him, and the feeling was so good they were soon whimpering and moaning for each other, Dipper in particular needing a little more to get himself going.

“Bill, please...” he pleaded, wiggling his hips in a particularly tantalizing way, trying to get some friction for his erection. With a groan, Bill reached down to grasp it, sliding his hand over it in time with his movements.

Dipper bucked immediately, the sensation so good that he was sure he would fall over his edge at any moment. He kept his eyes shut, focused on moving, trying to ignore the sweat dripping down his skin. He could worry about that later... for now, he only cared about pleasing Bill. As far as he was concerned, that demon between his legs was the only other thing in the universe.

Dipper's ears perked up when he heard Bill whimpering. It wasn't too loud, just a soft little series of grunts, but he wasn't stopping. He was really and truly enjoying himself, and was vocalizing how much he was, and hearing that was enough to finish Dipper off.

He came as the other's hand gave a particularly deft twist around his tip, jerking as hard as he could on the entrails so that Bill's whimpers were abruptly cut off. The demon coughed, letting go of the other's dick as he braced himself over him on both arms, body shaking. By the time Dipper came down from his high, he opened his eyes to see the other wavering back and forth, expression pained and face red.

“Oh shit, sorry man,” he apologized, letting go and allowing him to breathe.

Bill sucked in a harsh breath and coughed, massaging his throat and swearing. Then he sped his pace, trying to reach his own completion. Dipper figured this would be a good time to start begging. Or at least, dirty talking. Taking the intestines in his hand again to play with (he really has gotten used to their texture), he said, “I love it when you fuck me.” Simple and sweet, and it worked. Bill kinda choked, and opened his eyes to look at him, rhythm faltering.

Meeting the other's eyes, Dipper grinned at him and continued, “I love the way you move inside me. I love how you touch me, how you take control and just dominate me. You're my master and I am pleased to serve you.” He dropped a hand into the pool of blood, which he had almost forgotten he was still lying in. It was cool now. Drying, thickening. He coated his fingers with it and lifted them, beginning to draw swirling patterns on Bill's face. “You have absolutely corrupted me,” he sighed, but he didn't say it negatively.

Bill grinned too. “At least you're self aware enough to realize how messed up you are.”

Dipper gave a few swipes of his fingers, putting a rune on Bill's forehead. The demon realized it immediately.

“Is that... ohh, that is so sweet.” Bill smiled in recognition of the symbol for devotion, and leaned down to kiss the other. As he did, he felt Dipper's fingers move to his back, thoughtlessly and crudely sketching additional symbols. But one in particular seemed to have some effort put into it, and he stiffened as he felt a wave of pleasure. He separated from Dipper to gasp for breath, moaning and shaking as the other wrote out a spell on his skin.

“So it's working,” Dipper whispered, delighted.

“You're using magic in unusual ways and I... nn... I approve,” Bill muttered, body convulsing slightly. He managed to thrust in a few more times before the feeling got to be too much, and he buried in to the hilt before coming.

Dipper smiled at the sensation, pressing a kiss to Bill's cheek. “So I take it you liked that little spell I made up?”

“Heh. It was interesting. Using blood magic for pleasure. Unique.” Bill inhaled, then pulled out. With a satisfied sigh, he draped himself over the other, nuzzling him.

Dipper responded, but moved his hand up to Bill's neck to tug at the slimy organs still wrapped around it. “I'm gonna get these off of you.”

“Sure, sure.” Bill lifted his head so Dipper could unwind them, and once they were off and dropped uncaringly on top of the body, Bill laid his head back down.

“Bill,” Dipper intoned.

“Yes?” Bill began sliding his arms around Dipper's neck.

“We need to get up.”

“But whyy?”

“Because we're still laying in this dude's blood and my skin is starting to crawl.”

“Maybe that's just because you're enjoying it.”

“It's gone all cold and gross. Seriously, can you let me up?”

“I'll think about it.” Bill snuggled with him and Dipper sighed, before raising his arms to put around the other. He gazed at his face, just taking in all the little details, but mostly focusing on his eyes. Sometimes he thought about how this body once belonged to someone else. Someone who probably had hopes, dreams, and decided to give it all up. Well they had no choice, but still, they had given up their life and allowed their body to be taken far too easily, in Dipper's opinion.

But he didn't know that man. He only associated this body with Bill, and it was easy enough to just look at those gold irises, with the pupils that almost seemed to be shaped like slits if he tilted his head just right, and think of the demon. The part of his hair that was dyed blonde also made it easy to make the association. As well as that perfect Eye of Horus eyeliner. Which was now smudged and faded. Great. That meant Dipper was probably going to be the one redoing it later.

“I suppose we can get up,” Bill said at last, rolling off and climbing to his feet. He held out a hand to help Dipper up, and the two stood there for a moment, just looking at how messy the other was. Then Bill suggested, “Let's go use his shower.”

“I was just about to suggest the same thing.”

Laughing, they headed for their victim's bathroom to get cleaned up. They were definitely going to do this kind of thing again.


	3. Psychological Torture

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bored of only hurting his captives physically, Pavonis decides to take the torture beyond anything Dipper and Bill have ever done. This takes place somewhere between Chapters 11 and 12 of Paying Recompense, on a day that is never really specified in the fic itself, and I have decided that it is completely non-canon to the actual story. Pavonis NEVER goes this far in reality, this scene was deleted for a reason. But because people expressed interest, I will post it. Warnings for non-con, psychological abuse, slurs, and just overall horrible-ness, this is really NSFW and REALLY not okay. Forgive me.  
> Word Count: 4911

Bill always heard their captors arrive first. He didn't know if it was because he still had a lingering shred of magic that let him sense it, or if his body just had better hearing than Dipper's, or maybe he was simply the lighter sleeper. Regardless, he would always get a chill down his spine completely unrelated to the cold, and snap out of his uneasy sleep to look up just in time to see the door open.

Today was no different. It was the fifth morning he has woken up on this hard wooden floor, feeling scabs pull on his skin and aches flare through his body as he lifted his head, but he made no sound, not wanting to appear weak. The door was thrown open as usual, and the sound of it banging off the wall jolted Dipper awake.

The boy gave a distressed whine that broke Bill's heart, but he struggled into a sitting position, rubbing his neck and then wrapping his arms around himself as he shivered.

Bill put a comforting arm around him, and glared at Pavonis as he strutted into the room.

“Did you miss me?” he said with a grin, nudging the door closed behind him with a foot.

Bill raised an eyebrow at that; he never closed the door when he was in the room. But he replied to the question, sarcastic though it may be. “No.”

“Ha, well too bad, because here I am.” Pavonis strode toward them, taking his arms out from behind his back. He wasn't holding any weapons that they could see, but they didn't relax; he could have something in his pocket, or be about to summon something, or he could even just be planning on electrocuting them.

“Where's the fat ass?” Bill questioned.

Pavonis gave a flippant hand wave. “He'll probably be here in an hour or two... I'm kinda early. I wanted to have some time alone with you two for a very _special_ kind of torture. A little something... extra, if you will. That Gideon hadn't specifically asked for, but I would like to indulge in because it's even funner than our regular torture.”

“More fun,” Dipper couldn't help but snark.

He was immediately struck across the face hard enough to snap his head to the side. He cried out and Bill growled.

“Okay Pines, you'll be first,” Pavonis said cheerfully. “Thanks for making my choice easy.”

“Damn it,” Dipper hissed, rubbing his cheek as it smarted. Of course Pavonis had to hit him right over one of his many knife wounds.

Pavonis tugged his sleeves back a bit and reached down to unhook Bill's chain from the floor, but left the other end attached to the collar. Then he grabbed the other demon, dragging him away from Dipper. Bill snarled and struggled, but without his magic, he was far too weak to break away. But he wouldn't allow himself to be moved without a fight, so he sank his teeth into Pavonis's arm.

“Ow, son of a bitch!” The psychic kicked him in the stomach repeatedly, hopping back on one foot as he tried to dislodge the other. Bill refused to let go, giving a vicious twist of the head that caused Pavonis to hiss with pain. He kept dragging the other back though, soon getting him far enough from Dipper that the two would be unable to reach each other by a good two feet, and reattached the chain to the floor there. Bill could push himself up into a kneeling position, but couldn't move far. He certainly couldn't stand. Not that his crippled legs would allow him to do so for long anyway.

With Bill tethered, there was nothing left for Pavonis to do but free his arm. He grabbed Bill's jaw with his other hand, threatening, “I will break out every single one of your teeth if you do not let go of me immediately.”

Bill challenged him with his glare.

“Fine, don't let go,” Pavonis sighed. “That just means for every second you've been biting me, it's another minute of torture for Dipper that you get to watch.”

Bill's eyes widened, and his jaw loosened. Not much, but enough that Pavonis was able to yank his arm free. He then planted his foot solidly in Bill's face, slamming him back into the wall. The dream demon groaned as he pushed himself into a sitting position, hand covering his nose as both nostrils bled.

Pavonis scoffed and tugged back his sleeve to examine his arm. He clicked his tongue at the ringed bruise Bill's teeth had left. “All right. That means I'm giving him another permanent scar at some point during this as well.”

Dipper swallowed as the psychic returned to him, shaking as the other leaned down and grasped his chin, turning his head from side to side. Green eyes swept over the multitude of injuries, and then further down Dipper's body. When they returned to Dipper's face, Pavonis met his eyes and smiled. It was not a pleasant smile.

“So, little Dipper, aren't you curious to know what fun torture I have planned for you?” Dipper was silent. Until the hand on his chin lowered to his throat and squeezed, making him gag. “Answer when you are spoken to.”

“I-I don't want to know, please... just get it over with,” Dipper coughed.

Pavonis shook his head, loosening his hold. “Ah, but this calls for some explanation. You see... what Gideon and I have been doing to you two recently? That's fantastic torture, sure, but it only goes skin deep.” He moved his hand down, pressing his fingers to the edges of a particularly deep cut in Dipper's side. The boy winced. “Or rather, muscle deep in some cases...” The demon dug his fingernails into the gash, and Dipper flinched, a pained protest escaping him. “But it's all just physical... Sure, maybe there's some mental stress from being held prisoner, but... what I want is to cause some real psychological pain. Leave some real wounds in here.” He gave Dipper's skull a hard tap with his index finger. “So what does this mean for you, you're wondering?”

Dipper didn't meet his eyes, staring off to the side. “I... I don't know.”

“Oh, you're smart, I'm sure you could figure it out.” Pavonis scraped his fingernails down Dipper's temple and seized his shoulders with both hands, swiftly moving down to his wrists and pinning them back against the wall. As he moved to kneel over the human, his grin widened. “What could possibly leave a deep psychological wound that never heals?”

Dipper was too distressed to think properly about the question, but Bill figured it out. And when he did, he screamed.

“Get the fuck away from him, Pavonis!” he shouted, pulling hard on his chain, trying to get to them. When it didn't budge, he grabbed the metal with both hands, yanking harshly. He kept his eyes on Pavonis, an animalistic snarl on his lips. “Don't you... don't you _dare!_ ”

Pavonis chuckled and glanced at him for only a moment before looking back at Dipper, and he forced the human onto his back, the collar's chain responding to his thoughts and moving to connect at floor level, so short that it pretty much kept Dipper from lifting his head more than half a foot. The psychic moved both of Dipper's wrists into one hand, drawing them up and pinning them above the human's head. With a whispered spell, leather bound Dipper's wrists and was subsequently chained to the floor as well.

Pavonis sat back to look over his handiwork. Dipper struggled but couldn't lift his hands, nor could he move his head comfortably. “Perfect,” Pavonis purred.

“If you're thinking what I think you are, I am going to rip you to shreds,” Bill shouted. His neck was starting to bruise from how hard he was straining against his collar. His face was red from the effort, and his hands were clearly chafing on the chain.

Dipper gulped as Pavonis's hand moved down his neck, fingers tracing the runes in the collar before settling below it, pressing to Dipper's collarbone. “Oh, I can't wait to make him watch this...” Pavonis looked over at Bill. “Keep that up and I'll really hurt him.”

Bill stopped talking, his angry eyes filling with tears as he stopped fighting as hard to get to them. The chain remained as tensely pulled as it could get, however.

Satisfied, Pavonis looked down at Dipper, sitting on his waist and crossing his arms casually behind his back. “Now, where was I? Ah, yes. I was asking you what I could possibly do to you that may cause permanent mental scarring. Still confused? Heh, maybe I should tone back on the head trauma. But you won't be confused for long... I'm gonna have my fun and you'll figure it out real quick.”

Pavonis shifted, moving back to kneel between Dipper's feet. He leaned forward and grabbed at the fasteners on his pants. The clothing barely stayed on anymore, it has been cut through so many times to get at skin, but some was left for modesty. And Pavonis easily tugged them off.

“H-hey, wait!” Realizing now what Pavonis was planning, Dipper renewed his struggling, legs kicking desperately. One foot caught the other across the face, and Pavonis scowled.

“You're just making this worse for you,” he said, throwing the ragged garment aside and seizing Dipper's ankles. His eyes glowed purple, and magic surrounded his hands. When he let go of the human's legs, the magic stayed linked around each ankle, holding them apart.

“No, no!” Dipper tried to fight anyway, body thrashing as he tried to move away from the other. But his wrist restraints held, and the magic definitely wasn't moving. He could move his knees around, buck with his body, but none of it did any good.

“So much fight for such an injured human,” Pavonis commented, cracking his knuckles before taking hold of Dipper's boxers. “Let's see how long that lasts. I'm going to break you, Pines. Break you in so many ways that you'll never think straight again.”

Tears ran down the human's face and he panicked, screaming and pleading as the other swiftly dragged his underwear down, until it was bunched around his ankles, and crawled between his thighs. The magic around his ankles disappeared, but Pavonis was too close for him to properly kick at him, and he didn't have the strength for it anyway. He was already exhausting himself from the struggling; without any food or proper rest, his body was in a deplorable condition.

“It's so much fun when they fight,” Pavonis mused, reaching down to the fly of his pants and opening them.

Dipper's chest heaved, terrified eyes darting between the psychic's face and his hand. When the other tugged out his erection, the human squeezed his eyes shut and called out for help.

Bill yelled back, trying again to pull free of his collar, but it held just like it always has. He screamed and cursed, but could do nothing but watch.

“Mm, keep fighting, it really does things to me,” Pavonis hummed, giving himself a few appreciative strokes.

“No, no, please, no,” Dipper whimpered, shaking his head, refusing to look as he felt Pavonis's weight shift, and hot flesh pressed between his legs.

“I'll kill you!” Bill yelled, tears running down his cheeks. “As soon as we get out of this, I am going to _kill you!_ ”

“I look forward to your attempt.” Pavonis gripped Dipper's hips with both hands and lifted them, licking his lips as the human squirmed and begged. “Oh, shut up, Pines.” With no preparation whatsoever, he forcibly entered him.

A pained keen escaped Dipper, fingers clenching as every muscle in his body protested the movement. He remained tense, trying to stop the other from pushing in any further, but Pavonis wasn't giving up that easily. The psychic merely grunted and placed a hand on the floor for support, the other holding Dipper's hip so tightly that a bruise was rapidly forming, and he thrust further in. The human shrieked with pain.

“You're so tight,” Pavonis groaned, closing his eyes to concentrate as he inched his way in. “I thought you'd be looser, considering that you probably let Cipher take you all the time...”

Dipper was too horrified to reply, but Bill growled out, “You didn't prepare him, you bastard!”

“Pft, who has time for all that stretching and lubricant nonsense? Certainly not me... besides, I don't need him enjoying this. This is for me.” Pavonis sighed softly once he was buried to the hilt, and took a moment to examine his victim.

Dipper was shaking, terrified eyes staring up at him, tears running down his cheeks and face red with humiliation. But his arms were still; he wasn't trying to fight.

“This is a good look for you,” Pavonis mused. “Under me. Ready to get started?”

“P-please, stop, do anything else, just d-don't...” Dipper's voice broke, and he took in a reassuring breath, trying to stay strong, but he was so afraid. “Don't do this. I can't...”

“You can't what? You can't handle it? Heh... good.” Pavonis withdrew, the horrible friction making Dipper gasp and grit his teeth, trying not to yell. It was painful and uncomfortable, nothing like the easy sliding he was used to; the lack of lube made it more of a harsh scrape, and he did not like it.

“Nn, surely this is uncomfortable for you- ah!” Dipper couldn't help it; he screamed when the other thrust back in, pain flaring up his spine, and his legs kicked in protest.

“It's not the most pleasant, no,” Pavonis panted, adjusting his grip slightly. “Because you keep fucking tensing up. Relax.” He dug his fingernails into Dipper's skin, and electricity shot through his body. His muscles spasmed immediately, and he cried out and writhed uncontrollably as the voltage ripped through him. Then it was gone, and he collapsed limply, eyes staring into nothing as he tried to catch his breath. Taking advantage of the human's relaxed body, Pavonis began moving, getting into a rhythm despite the tightness.

Dipper was too exhausted to fight, and merely laid there and took it, closing his eyes as he just tried to bear it. The pain was incredible, he couldn't find a single thing pleasant in it; this wasn't sex, it was just another attack, this time on his insides, and though it didn't seem to be injuring him, it hurt just as much as anything else that was done to him. Worse, arguably.

Bill couldn't watch, and he knew Dipper wouldn't want him to watch, so he was turned away, eyes closed, but that couldn't stop him from hearing the whimpers. Or the pleased sounds that the other demon was making. He was so angry about this that he was trembling, jaw clenched, fingers so tight around his chain that the metal was leaving deep grooves in them. He was going to kill that bastard. He wasn't sure how, but he was going to. Pavonis was not going to be allowed to live after this atrocity.

“Oh, this is fun, isn't it?” Pavonis purred to Dipper, who answered with a soft whine. “But it isn't quite doing it for me... Oh, you know what? I have an idea.” He pulled out, and Dipper sighed with relief, craning his head over to try and wipe his eyes off on his upper arm.

Bill slowly opened an eye, glancing at the two. Hate boiled in him at the sight of the other between his boyfriend's legs like that, but he wanted to see what he was planning.

“Yeah, this will be good... I think this will hurt you even more than pain will.”

Bill couldn't help lifting an eyebrow and making a sarcastic comment. “What could possibly hurt more than pain?”

Pavonis grinned at him, twisting his wrist and opening his palm to reveal a shimmering liquid. “If he enjoys it.”

Dipper bit his lip and protested, “I'd never enjoy this, I hate you!”

“True but your body doesn't know the difference.” Pavonis hummed as he applied the liquid to his length, then smoothly slid back inside the human. It still wasn't as easy, Dipper himself was still tense, but the friction became less harsh.

“Ah...” An unwillingly pleasured groan came from the boy, which mortified him more than any pain the other was inflicting. “W-wait, no... Nn...”

Pavonis laughed as he resumed a rhythm, using surprisingly graceful thrusts, hips rolling deep into Dipper's each time. The human choked, fighting not to moan, trying to focus more on how it hurt; he would take any amount of pain over even the smallest amount of pleasure from this.

“N-no, I don't want it to feel good, Pavonis please,” he begged.

“Well, I want it to,” the other replied. “Let me hear you moan for me.”

“No!” Dipper could feel his body responding; just as Pavonis had said, it didn't know the difference. He could try to will away his arousal, but nonetheless, the stimulation was causing unwanted stirring in his groin, causing his body to flush with heat. Pain faded as adrenaline and other hormones pumped through him, and he squirmed.

“I want you to cry for me,” Pavonis groaned from over him, moving faster, motions almost familiar except for how rough he was. The shape of him was different from Bill, but Dipper tried to imagine that it was Bill doing this to him in an effort to take away some of the pain. But that only made him feel guilty, making the situation even worse.

“I'm not going to... to moan for you,” Dipper managed, even as his body bucked with need.

“Oh, I think you will... after all, it's a natural response, just like this.” The hand that was on his hip suddenly grasped his cock and moved up it, and he was horrified to find that he was getting hard.

“Oh God, no, n-no, Bill! Bill, I'm sorry, I...” Dipper choked up, fresh tears streaming down his face now.

“Dipper, it's okay!” Bill called out soothingly. “It doesn't mean anything, your body is reacting naturally, it's not your fault!”

“I don't want this! Pavonis, please... nngh...” Dipper's back arched when the other's thumb teased the head of his cock, pressing to the slit, being deceitfully gentle. It felt good. He couldn't deny that it was pleasurable, but... it wasn't wanted. It wasn't wanted, and it made him sick to his stomach that his body was reacting the way it was.

“Ya know, maybe if you respond to me and make some lovely noises, we'll get through this more quickly,” Pavonis commented. He wasn't going at quite the breakneck pace he was before, instead taking his time, getting used to the way the other hugged his length. There wasn't near as much resistance now as there was before, and he was savoring the sensation. It's been a while since he's felt this.

Dipper sniffed and glanced over at Bill, not wanting to betray him like that.

“Pine Tree,” the dream demon whispered, cracking open an eye to look at him, though he immediately looked away when he saw how Pavonis was moving over him. “Just do what he wants... maybe it'll make him stop sooner. It's okay, I know you don't want him. Do what you must.”

Dipper closed his eyes, took in a breath, and allowed himself to relax. The tension went out of his body, and Pavonis hummed in approval as he was able to thrust in deeper. Dipper bit down on his lower lip to keep from making noise, but his back lifted, and there was suddenly friction against his length as the demon leaned over him, abdomen pressing down on him and an arm bracing next to him.

Pavonis's other hand kept clenching Dipper's hip, forcefully rocking him into his thrusts, and his eyes remained open, watching the beads of sweat roll down his victim's skin. He dug his nails deeper into the flesh under them, and Dipper groaned from low in his throat, lips parting for a moment. He immediately closed them again, shaking his head.

“You've got the relaxed part down... now move with me, or it's gonna be even worse for Cipher.”

Dipper protested, “I'm n-not responding to any of this, y-you're disgusting...”

Pavonis's pace became much more aggressive, making the human cry out in pain, but it really wasn't any worse than some of what Bill has done to him. He was soon just whimpering, body tense, expression strained and upset.

“You're so boring,” Pavonis sighed. “Stop tensing up.” He slapped his side.

Unwillingly, Dipper again relaxed. A soft moan escaped him, and he trembled as he felt the other stroke up his shaft. He was close to hysterics, but did his best to just hold on. It'll all be over soon, he told himself. It'll be over, and then Pavonis will get off him... but then what? Then there would be the usual agonizing torture. Or even worse, the demon might go over to assault Bill. And he wouldn't be able to stop any of it.

That was the thought that had him breaking into sobs, turning his face aside to bury against his arm, crying without restraint. He was humiliated at how pathetic he was being, but he couldn't stop.

“Dipper,” Bill whispered, his chest aching at how his lover was crying, staring at his face and trying not to look at Pavonis. But he couldn't miss how the other's body was being moved, the way his face contorted at each thrust, and it just tore him apart to see this. He turned away, beginning to cry himself. His partner was being hurt and he couldn't save him. He hasn't been able to save him from anything these past days, and... it just destroyed him.

“He trusted you to save him,” Pavonis said to Bill. His voice was quiet, but clear. “And you didn't. You can't do anything. You're just as pathetic as he is.”

“Take these collars off and see how pathetic we are,” Bill muttered, but his heart wasn't in it. He was shaking, distressed, not even pulling on his collar anymore. He was just sitting on the floor, head down.

“Hmm... nah. I like having you two like this. Unable to fight back. Hm...” Pavonis tilted his head at Dipper, leaning in a bit closer to look at his face. “I wonder...” He changed his pace, using slower, smoother thrusts.

Without wanting to, Dipper let out a pleasured moan, followed by a stunned silence before he opened his eyes and gave Bill a horrified look. Seeing that his partner wasn't looking at him, he bit his lip, eyes watering.

“That's it,” Pavonis encouraged, leaning forward even more to bite at one of Dipper's ears. “Moan for me, you slut.”

Dipper slowly looked up at Pavonis, swallowed, and gave a single nod. Beaten, he let his body react naturally, mind drifting away into subspace as he just stared up into nothing.

Pavonis was irritated by that, and tried slapping at him or biting him, but he didn't respond, eyes remaining fixed in that blank stare.

“Well, I broke him,” Pavonis called over to Bill. “I wonder how long it'll take to break you.”

“You won't break me,” Bill replied. “My mind was broken long ago.”

“Heh, maybe... but it should still be fun seeing how long you last without giving in to your body's filthy urges. Look at this. Look at how he's moving with me now. I mean, sure he isn't exactly looking at me, but... well, the pleasure is all I'm after.”

Bill was concerned, but if Dipper's state of mind was how he was coping, he didn't want to bring him out of it.

Dipper didn't seem to recover until Pavonis's movements actually brought his body to climax, and he convulsed, a surprised cry escaping him as he released. He was dazed for a few moments, then realized what had happened, and his eyes watered.

“So you will come for anyone who fucks you,” Pavonis commented. “What a trashy whore you are.”

Bill yelled in outrage and Dipper sniffed, but he didn't cry. He was too exhausted to cry anymore. But the misery was undeniable in his eyes.

Pavonis snorted and pulled out, and with a few more strokes to himself, came onto the human's stomach. He gave a blissful sigh, and pushed Dipper's legs off of himself to stand up. The bindings around Dipper's wrists vanished, and the boy immediately scrambled back, huddling against the wall and shaking.

“Clean yourself up, you're disgusting,” Pavonis snapped.

Dipper glanced down at himself, wiped his eyes off, and then pulled his underwear back up. His pants, he used to clean his stomach off. He didn't want to put the garment back on, but he was cold and it offered a small amount of warmth, so he wiggled back into it anyway.

“Pine Tree?” Bill asked quietly. Dipper didn't answer. “Are you okay?”

“No.”

Bill frowned, then yelped when Pavonis's hands seized him and shoved him back.

“Your turn,” the other said with a devilish grin.

Bill didn't show his fear. He only snarled at the other demon, showing his teeth in defiance. “Do your worst, you can't hurt me.”

“Well, at the very least, it will hurt your boyfriend to watch.”

Dipper shook his head and covered his ears, turning to face the other way. He refused to watch. His body ached terribly from the abuse, he felt nauseous, and he briefly considered slamming his head into the wall until he passed out. Anything to avoid feeling this pain and guilt, to not have to witness his partner being abused the way he just was. From behind him, he could still hear angry growling, the ripping of clothes. Then two distinct grunts, one pained and the other pleasured. He pressed his fingers harder into his ears, trying to block out the sounds. He couldn't... he just couldn't stand this. His desire from earlier seized him again, and he placed his hands on the wall, looking at it for a moment before throwing his head forward.

The collision with the wood was loud and painful, and he winced as his skull bounced off it. Vision blurred, but he was still awake. He leaned back and slammed his head forward again. A louder smack, the pain trickled down his neck and spread out across his forehead in a blunt and strangely warm wave.

“Pine Tree, don't hurt yourself!” Bill cried out, ignoring how Pavonis was attacking him when he saw what Dipper was doing.

“I can't see this, I can't hear it, I... I can't take it, I... why can't I knock myself out?” Dipper hit his head as hard as he could, frustrated when he remained awake. His shoulders shook as he sobbed weakly. “P-please, I can't...”

Pavonis grinned smugly. “Ah, I love it when they break down like that. But you know what's even better? When I make a demon break down.” He looked down at Bill's agonized expression. “I see that the way to get to you is through him. In that case, I'll continue to hurt him. Maybe one day I'll see you crying like that, slamming your head against the wall as you try to end it.”

Bill cursed his body as he felt his heart clench, as he felt the tears in his eyes. When he was in his demon form, it was so easy to hide his emotions. But humans? Their faces betrayed so much. He could only imagine the look on his face right now. But he looked up at Pavonis, who was inside him, but Bill was so detached that he barely noticed the way he was moving.

“Just get this over with so we can get on with the normal torture,” he sighed.

“You'd rather be tortured with blades than have sex with me?”

“This isn't sex.”

“Ah, semantics.” Pavonis raised an eyebrow as he heard a particularly loud bang and the cracking of wood, over which was a shriek. Then a body thumped to the floor. “Huh, sounds like he finally knocked himself out. I think I'll cut off one of his fingers for that.”

“Don't!”

“Oh? And what will you do to convince me not to?”

Bill gave him a look of such hate that if looks could kill, Pavonis would definitely be dead. “Have your way with me. I won't fight. Just don't remove any of his body parts. Not even a pinkie.”

“Hm... okay. I won't remove anything... today. Now then... you better relax or I'll consider you to be fighting right now.”

Bill snarled and threw himself onto his back, grumbling to himself. He didn't resist as his wrists were pinned. He just laid there, staring up at the ceiling as he was abused. He's had worse, he reminded himself. Through his tens of thousands of years alive, he has been through every kind of torture imaginable. This wasn't unbearable. But that didn't change how much it hurt.

His eyes slipped closed and he sighed. _Just ride it out... it will be over eventually... and hopefully, my dear Pine Tree hasn't been pushed past the point of no return. If he has... I will never forgive myself._


	4. Downtime

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bored after a typical day of torturing his captives, Pavonis decides to accompany Gideon back to his house for some relaxing... downtime. Shenanigans ensue. Of the sexual type. Gideon/Pavonis. That is what this is (though not romantic in any way, thank god). This is NSFW, but there aren't really any other warnings for this, it's fairly okay actually. And this one can be considered canon, lol. Takes place somewhere after... hmm, maybe 12 or 13 of Paying Recompense? It's just one of the nights while Pavonis is around, I don't know a particular day. I just wanted to give it a shot. for giggles. Anyway, enjoy!  
> oh god this is awful  
> Word Count: 5676

When Gideon wasn't helping his demon torture Dipper and Bill, he was usually at his house, relaxing in his room and reading books. He was very curious about magic, and read about it frequently. Though Pavonis never really helped him, he would ask the other questions about using it, and sometimes he got a useful response. Whenever he used magic that was completely his, it often took on an eerie green color. He couldn't help but wonder what affected the color. Bill had blue. Pavonis had purple. Dipper had yellow, or at least, he was pretty sure it was yellow, since that was the color of the flames he could summon.

He wasn't really able to get a straight answer about why magic took on certain colors, apparently it always varied between users and a lot of factors went into it. So he put that question aside for another time and focused on actually using magic. It wasn't so hard once he got the hang of it. And the energy he has stolen from Dipper really helped.

During this downtime, he usually didn't see Pavonis. The other was probably out meditating or answering summons. Gideon didn't concern himself with it too much.

But one day, Pavonis decided to accompany Gideon back to his house, saying he wanted to just chill. The boy was unsure, but agreed, and Pavonis actually climbed up behind him on the motorcycle as Gideon started it.

"I wanna go for a ride," he murmured into Gideon's ear, sending a shiver down his spine. Sure was cold out here.

"All right, but sit still." Gideon ignored how the other's legs had to pretty much straddle his behind; his bulk took up pretty much all the room on the seat. Really, having a passenger was even more dangerous for him. But Pavonis was a demon. He'll be fine.

"Of course." The demon smiled as the motorcycle began to move, and rested his hands on Gideon's hips for balance.

"What're you-"

"I have to hold something. What, does this make you uncomfortable?"

"Er... no. Not at all." If he let Pavonis know something was bothering him, the other would never let it go.

"Good." Pavonis watched the trees go by, as the bike increased in speed, and talking soon became almost impossible over the roar of the engine. He scooted forward a bit, body pressed to Gideon's back, and slid his arms around him. He leaned his face into the side of his neck and inhaled.

"Pavonis, what the fuck?" the teen demanded. The other was definitely close enough to understand that. And the contact was making him antsy, warmth growing in his body. It was pleasant, considering how cold it was, but…

"Just holding on so I don't fall," Pavonis replied, laughing. "And also I wanted to touch you a bit. You're quite warm to hold. And your fat is rather comfortable."

"Uh... you're being really weird."

"It's only as weird as you make it."

"You gay or something?"

Pavonis barked out a surprisingly loud laugh at that. "Gay? Hell no, why would I restrict myself to only one gender? I find plenty of men attractive, but I find lots of other people to be pleasing as well. Women, non-binary, genderless... It doesn't matter to me. Pansexual, baby. I've always been that way. Even when I was a human, though that wasn't exactly accepted in my time."

"When was your time?"

"At least four hundred years ago, but I don't want to talk about it."

"Oh wow, you really are young, aren't ya?"

"Gideon..."

"No wonder Bill has such little respect for you, you're practically a baby compared to him- ow!" Gideon flinched when the other shocked him with electricity.

"I said not to talk about it," Pavonis growled.

"Okay, okay, sorry." Gideon changed the subject. "So you're pan, huh? Tell me about that."

"Well, I'm actually... oh, what do humans call it? Graysexual? Yes. I'm graysexual. I usually go without feeling any sexual desire at all, but every so often, someone catches my attention. And when that happens, I don't care about the gender, so I guess that makes me pan. Regardless, I find many people attractive for various reasons."

"Okay. Um, ever dated?"

"Nope. I'm aromantic."

"Oh."

"Don't need love, don't care about it, I just like to have sex for fun. Hey, Gleeful, are you a virgin?"

Gideon flushed red. "I am, what's it to you?"

"Oh no big deal, just wondering. So what are you waiting for?"

"I'm gonna find a lovely gal who's smart and funny and has ambition like me. Preferably with long, wavy hair I could run my fingers through, but of course that's not a requirement."

"You like wavy hair, huh?" Pavonis purred, rubbing his head against Gideon's.

The boy scowled. "On women. I'm not gay."

"Nor am I human so I don't think I exactly qualify as a man."

"Hmmph. You were a boy when you were human though, right?"

"Yep."

"So no. No thanks."

"I'm not saying you need to be in a relationship with me. Hell, I don't want that at all. But I certainly wouldn't mind us having a little fun. A little... stress relief." Pavonis drifted his fingers down Gideon's side, running them across his hip and down a leg.

"I'm not... attracted to you," Gideon replied.

"Are you sure? Absolutely sure you don't want to get naughty with a being who has hundreds of years of experience? Not to mention... I like it rough so it would be very difficult for you to hurt me. I think it would be good for you. You need to relax."

"Look, Pavonis, I'm flattered that you find me attractive enough to sleep with, but I'm not sure I'm ready to condemn myself like this."

Pavonis laughed. He was still so close. Chin on Gideon's shoulder. Lips against his ear. Despite everything, the boy shivered. "You've already made a deal with me that was sealed in blood. I think you can lower yourself a little more for the sake of fun. Besides, if you're really so religious..." He gave his neck an open-mouthed kiss. "God forgives all."

"Fuck." Gideon gave up and finally got the motorcycle out of the woods and back onto a normal road. He made his way back into Gravity Falls, and to Pavonis's credit, the demon respectfully leaned back and returned his hands to Gideon's waist, merely holding on rather than practically embracing him like before.

When they got to Gideon's house, the teen was pleased to see that his father was gone; must be working at the car lot. His mother's vehicle was also gone. They had the house to themselves.

"Right, so I'm gonna go to my room and relax," Gideon said as he parked the bike and dismounted.

Pavonis slid down and stretched. "May I accompany you?"

Gideon sighed. "All right."

He led the way in, and once he got to his room, he kicked his shoes off and shrugged out of his jacket. He had barely hung it on his chair when Pavonis was pressed along his backside, humming into the back of his neck.

"I love bigger humans, they have so much skin to touch," he breathed, hands roaming down Gideon's sides.

Gideon hated that he didn't feel disgust at the contact. He really should, but there was an air about Pavonis that made him much easier to tolerate. Hell, he was desirable, almost. Way more than he should be to a boy who was fairly convinced of his heterosexuality.

But... Pavonis was a demon. Normal human attraction labels didn't really apply. He was inherently genderless despite his choice of pronouns and body.

"Get off me." He pulled away and turned around to see the other smiling at him. Very pleasantly smiling. His eyes were a nice shade of green. And his hair really was curly. Gideon mustered up his best expression of distaste, even as he raised his hand to run through those locks. Soft and wavy, and he didn't miss how the other leaned into the touch. "This is so wrong."

"And yet it feels so right." Pavonis stepped closer, giving him a challenging grin. His eyelids fell, expression becoming more seductive, and damn it, it worked.

Gideon had their lips pressed together before he even realized what he was doing, and the demon literally purred as he responded, tilting his head as he tasted the other.

"Eugh!" Gideon jerked back. "I did not mean to... I just..."

"Demons are naturally irresistible to humans. Don't fight it." Pavonis took his face in his hands. His touch was surprisingly gentle, considering that he had been flaying flesh off Dipper and Bill with ease mere hours ago and hitting them so hard that bones were cracking. But one wouldn't expect him to be so strong with the delicate way his fingers cupped Gideon's cheeks and how his thumbs slid under his chin as he lifted his face.

Gideon swallowed, heart racing. He shouldn't find the other attractive. Pavonis may be genderless but he looked like a man and after so much time in prison he knew he was not into men. Yet…

The human sighed. Fuck it. Pavonis looked good and Gideon wanted to touch him. Telling himself that it must be some kind of magical demonic influence, he closed the distance to kiss the other.

Pavonis chuckled and stepped back, carefully wiggling his shoes off and nudging them aside. They explored each other's lips, Gideon making curious hums at the surprisingly pleasant sensation, and Pavonis practically moaning already.

The sound made Gideon's face grow hot, and he leaned back, not ready to feel a tongue in his mouth quite yet. He stared at the flustered demon. "Well, you seem enthusiastic."

"I love this stuff," the other said. "It feels awesome, I love the pleasure and heat and everything. And I haven't done this in a while. I'm enjoying all of this."

"You're so confident and in control when we're out there punishing Pines and Cipher. So seeing you come undone like this... it's a bit of a treat."

"You think I'm coming undone?" Pavonis raised his brows. "Oh, you haven't seen anything yet."

"Are you the submissive type?" Gideon ran a hand up the other's side. Perhaps this wouldn't be so bad.

"I can be. I love getting fucked. Feels awesome. But I have no problem with topping if you don't want to."

"Okay, one step at a time." Gideon kissed him again, beginning to enjoy the sensation. Pavonis was warm and he tasted like metal, lips tingling against his. Literally tingled. It was like touching something that was charged with static. That didn't come as much of a surprise, really, but it made this feel more dangerous.

Their kiss deepened as Gideon grew more confident, and the human began backing him toward the bed. When Pavonis felt his calf bump it, he smirked and wrapped his arms around the other's neck, falling back and yanking him down with him.

Gideon was briefly concerned when his entire weight came down on the other, but Pavonis only chuckled and kissed him harder, hands pulling on the collar of his shirt before lowering to fiddle with the top button.

"Pavo," Gideon said apprehensively, raising a hand to his mouth to wipe away the string of saliva between them.

"Yeah, big boy?"

God, the demon's voice was dripping with desire, pupils already dilated with lust. Gideon stuttered before saying, "I'm not sure I should be doing this."

"And why's that?" Pavonis rested his arms behind his head, getting comfortable on the covers. His legs rested uncaringly apart. Gideon glanced down and then quickly back up, trying not to think about the bulge in the other's pants.

"I should save myself for someone special."

"Pft, what a boring and outdated sentiment. Have your fun now, get your experience, so that when you do find that special someone, you'll be able to satisfy them more deeply. Best to get past the awkward stage now, huh?"

Gideon looked the other over, and said, "You won't make fun of me if I mess up, will you?"

"Nah. Besides, it's all instinctual. You won't mess up too bad. I'll be helping you along every step of the way, too."

The human nodded and sighed, then sat back and began unbuttoning his shirt. "Can't believe I'm doing this," he muttered.

"You're gonna have fun," Pavonis assured him, as he unclasped the chain that held his cape on, and used magic to move it over to the desk and carefully lay it down. Then he moved on to working the buttons of his own shirt.

Once Gideon had his shirt off and thrown aside, he paused, feeling slightly self-conscious. Though the prison diet and exercise had stripped a lot of fat from his body, he was still big and boasted a decent sized belly. He wasn't sure what to expect from the noticeably skinny demon. Ridicule? Unease?

But Pavonis said nothing, pulling his tri-colored shirt off with a flourish and throwing it aside. His skin was smooth, flawless. Except for the tattoo of a purple lightning bolt going down his left arm. It wasn't a cartoonish one either; it broke off into several jagged lines, extremely detailed, its shading flawless. It was a work of art.

"I like your tattoo," Gideon said.

"Thanks. Yours are nice too." Pavonis gestured to the pure black pentagram etched onto Gideon's chest. "Remind me not to touch that one."

Gideon stared at him, not sure whether or not to take him seriously.

Pavonis laughed. "I'm just yanking your chain, a pentagram alone won't bother me. Learn your demon traps, kid." He looked over the rest of the other. Simple black tattoos, but not too many. He met Gideon's eyes. "Come here, lemme touch you." His hands drifted over the other's biceps, and he sighed. "Mm, muscle. I love it."

Gideon had to admit, he liked the attention. His body was being appreciated, and it felt nice. He let himself relax, telling himself not to take this so seriously. Just have fun with it. He's spent so much time in prison, unable to date anyone, and especially not able to have sex. Time and privacy for masturbation alone was usually rare. So he needed this. He would be eighteen soon. He really didn't want to remain a virgin.

Pavonis seemed content. He had a gentle smile on his face, much different from that savage grin he had when torturing their captives. He didn't seem so dangerous right now. It was easy to forget he was a demon. Besides how his teeth were just a little too sharp, but other than that, he looked human.

Gideon shifted so he could tug his socks off, and helpfully pulled the other's off as well. Then he lowered his hands to the fly of his jeans.

"Hold on," Pavonis said, stopping him. "It's funner if you start getting frisky while still partly dressed and then rip the clothes off in the heat of the moment."

"If you rip my nice jeans I'm gonna punch you."

Pavonis rolled his eyes. "Not literally. But it is nice to angrily pull your partner's clothing off when your body is so hot and you just can't stand it anymore."

"Oh. Well, what do we do then-"

Pavonis pulled his head down. "Foreplay!" He kissed him roughly, and while the other was surprised, he responded positively, comfortable enough now to let the other's tongue sweep against his, exploring his mouth. He groaned in the back of his throat, body shaking. Heat twisted below his stomach, and he rubbed his hips forward.

"Nngh, Gleeful!" Pavonis gasped out, and trembled in pleasure. He hooked a leg over Gideon’s hips and slowly grinded up against him, hands grasping at Gideon’s back. As the other moved more firmly down, he bit his lip, nails digging into the human’s skin. Sweat was already breaking out on his skin, and they’ve barely gotten started… it really has been much too long.

The human didn’t want to admit it, but he enjoyed the sensation of those nails scraping down his skin. The pain mixed with the pleasure, and he groaned softly as he pressed down harder against Pavonis. He had stopped worrying about crushing him; he was handling his weight quite well. It was a bit overwhelming, though. He had a powerful demon underneath him, and the other wasn’t even trying to resist or hurt him. Was this how Dipper felt looking down at Bill? He shook his head to clear those thoughts. This was different. He didn’t love Pavonis. He was just… having some fun with him.

“Nn, Gideon, that is good…” Pavonis dropped a hand to the boy’s hip, before running his fingers back to cup his rear, tugging on him with need. In response, the human rutted against him harder, and his back lifted. “Aah, yes! Keep moving like that, that is perfect, mm…” He moved easily with him, and the friction soon had both of them hard and frustrated. Gideon soon craned his head to begin kissing the other’s neck. Not really out of affection, but simply desire. He wanted to taste him. Wanted to smell him and claim him. His teeth dug into the other’s skin, curiously at first, and then harder when it became apparent that the demon liked it. He breathed hot air across the bruises he left, suckled on them, dragged his tongue across abused skin.

Pavonis practically melted under him, nodding in approval and tilting his head to offer more of his throat. Yet despite the submission, he remained very much in control. His hand controlled the pace at which Gideon moved, and he was the one allowing the human access to his neck like this. At any moment, he could put a stop to everything. So Gideon was going to be very respectful.

He paused to lift his head and just examine the other. Pavonis was breathing deeply, pupils large, watching him closely. He smiled slightly when he was looked at, wiggling his hips. “Taking a break, are you?” he teased.

“Just a short one. Um… gotta catch my breath.”

“That’s fine, take your time.” Pavonis’s eyes glowed briefly. “Your parents aren’t gonna be back for quite some time.”

“Okay, I think I know what I wanna do.”

“Well go ahead, give it to me.” Pavonis’s eyes blatantly lowered to Gideon’s crotch for a moment. He also didn’t even try to hide the way he licked his lips.

The human snorted and stretched over him again, and their lips joined as he reached down to his jeans, opening his fly to relieve some pressure. He was hard, and it wasn’t difficult to tell that Pavonis was in the same state as him, if not worse. He soon pushed his pants down completely, having to struggle a bit, but eventually getting them off. Pavonis took advantage of the pause to take care of his own trousers. With the fabric being as loose as it was, they easily slipped off, and he threw them over the side of the bed.

Gideon’s mouth went dry as he saw that the other wasn’t wearing underwear. It briefly shook his confidence, and he sat back, wiping sweat from his brow. “O-oh, goodness, you’re um…”

Pavonis grinned at him. “Underwear is so pointless.” He looked down and raised his brows. “Except for yours, of course. I think there’s quite a point to them.”

Gideon rolled his eyes and sighed. “Why am I doing this, again?”

“‘Cause you’re a frustrated teen on the verge of manhood who really needs to get laid and also I’m pretty hot?”

“...Shut up, Pavo.” Gideon tackled him, and the other only arched and laughed, grinding up into him. With only one thin layer of fabric between them, the friction was incredible. They could feel each other’s erections so clearly, and they both moaned, bodies shaking with pleasure.

“If I were you… I’d get those off,” Pavonis muttered into the other’s ear.

“Fine, just.. hold on…” Gideon removed them, took in a reassuring breath, and looked back at his partner. Really, a demon should not be so attractive. There was some kind of unholy influence going on here. There had to be. But he wanted him, and the feeling was mutual… just get on with it.

Their grinding resumed, and as heat and ecstasy built in their bodies, Pavonis reached down, sliding his hand between them to grasp at their cocks. He held them together, stroking in time, and the pair were soon trembling and gasping each other’s names in needy voices.

“Is this… is this it?” Gideon asked quietly, moaning as the other squeezed along their tips.

“It doesn’t have to be, no,” Pavonis replied, voice soft and husky with arousal. His hand slowed, taking a leisurely pace. “You could always just fuck me.”

“I don’t… nn d-don’t think I could do that. This is already wrong enough…”

“Compared to what we spend our days doing? I would hardly call this wrong… hh, Gideon... “ Pavonis’s muscles gave a particularly strong flex as he moved against the other, causing them both to moan. “I really want to feel you inside me.”

Gideon swallowed at the chorus of agreement in his head. Why did he want to do this so much? This was disgusting, but… God, it felt amazing. And it could feel even better… all he would have to do is just take charge and do what Pavonis wanted.

A thought occurred to him though, and he said, “I can’t. I um… don’t have lube. You’ll just get injured.” He was pleased with himself for remembering that.

Pavonis blinked, then pulled his hands away. He clasped them, looked Gideon in the eye, and separated them. A bottle hovered in the air before dropping into his waiting palm. Humming, he gave the bottle to Gideon. “Here you go. But don’t feel obligated to waste too much time on this. I get loose real easy.”

“Uh, what… what do I actually do with this?” Gideon knew the basic concept, but he’s never actually used it before.

“You put it on your fingers and use them to stretch me out, of course. Just do it one finger at a time…” Pavonis eyed Gideon’s fingers. “Er, use your left hand, the one that doesn’t have quite as many rings.”

“Oh. Wait, you want me to put my fingers in- no!”

“Come on, Gleeful, I’m clean. I mean, seriously. Demon. I don’t even need to use that for that… other purpose you humans need to.”

“Well, I suppose that’s logical… eh, okay fine.” Gideon sat back on his knees between the other’s legs, and Pavonis huffed as he was forced to lower his arms, simply splaying them back against the covers. He watched Gideon with a critical eye.

“It’s easy. Put the lube on your fingers in a good coat, and then slide a finger inside me. I’ll relax for you.” Pavonis closed his eyes and chuckled to himself about how unsure the other was. But he had to give Gideon credit; the boy listened to instructions well. He chewed on his lip and squirmed when a slicked finger was pressed between his legs, ghosting over his balls and then below them, finally finding his entrance.

“Um… here?”

“Yep.”

The finger cautiously pressed forward, and Pavonis relaxed, humming as it slipped inside him with relative ease. There were so many perks to not being human. He lifted his hips as it went in, letting out a short laugh at how large the other’s finger was. This should be interesting. Might not even be a need for three of them…

Gideon’s entire face was red, and he was looking away with embarrassment, but he kept loosening the other, moving his finger in and out gently, and then more strongly once he realized Pavonis was enjoying it. He twisted slightly, pressing up against inner walls, and found a spot that made the other jump. The demon’s legs opened wider, and he threw his head back with a cry of, “Yes!”

Unreasonably turned on by that, Gideon leaned forward to watch his reactions more closely as he wiggled a second finger in, thrusting them in and out. He managed to find and stimulate that sweet spot, and soon had the other gasping, fingers grasping desperately at the bedcovers, hips moving forward in time. The sight really got to him. He only spent a few more moments using his fingers, watching Pavonis’s expression, and the sounds- oh God, the sounds that were pouring out of his throat.

All right, never mind questioning his sexuality. Gideon was going to let himself enjoy this. After a day of following the demon’s directions, he wanted to be in charge. He pulled his fingers out and mounted the other, reaching a hand down to line himself up.

Pavonis shifted, cracking an eye open to glance up, and he groaned, leaning forward to rest his chin on the other’s shoulder. “Give it to me, I like it rough,” he murmured.

Gideon didn’t need to be told twice. He pushed inside, shuddering as unfamiliar pressure and heat consumed him. Pleasure coursed through his body, and his eyes slipped shut, an approving moan escaping him at just how good it felt. And the being under him relaxed and accepted him easily, and he felt legs around his waist, pulling him closer.

“Lay down on me, brace your arms on the bed, and have at it,” Pavonis directed, voice breathy.

“I’m not too heavy, am I?”

“Not at all. In my opinion, the pressure of your body just makes the friction tighter. Stop stalling and move.”

Gideon moved. He moved quickly, burying himself to the hilt inside the other, and they both cried out in pleasure. The human rested his face against Pavonis’s neck, lowering his body onto the other’s as he braced himself with his elbows. There was no protest. In fact, Pavonis welcomed him, wrapping his arms around him and shifting to get comfortable, before sighing heavily.

“Good… now just breathe, focus, and… find a rhythm that works for you.”

The demon sounded more relaxed than Gideon has ever heard him. He kinda liked seeing this side of him, though. It did get annoying being around him when he was laughing loudly and being violent and generally unpleasant. But this was his usual self, his quiet and reserved half. The half that was the most… human.

After a gentle nuzzle into the wavy hair that framed the other’s face, Gideon pulled out. He trembled, still not quite used to the way this felt. But it was very pleasant. He pushed back inside, and the other arched. Encouraged, he began moving more quickly, getting a rhythm going. His thrusts were short, hard, and he wondered if he was doing this right, but Pavonis had no complaints, so he didn’t bother trying to adjust. He just continued to move, feeling his breath come in pants and his muscles already beginning to grow tired, but he kept on. The friction was so good in his body and the pleasure and heat was burning through him, lighting his nerves on fire, the demon was raking his nails down his back and it felt so good that his spine curled, and when he lowered himself back down he began grunting against the other’s neck, unable to stop the sounds.

Pavonis was vocalizing just as much, pressing countless open kisses to his partner’s face and throat, occasionally nipping, and each time he left a bruise, it just sent another wave of pleasure through the human’s body.

“This feels awesome, but I have a small suggestion,” Pavonis said after a couple minutes. Then he shifted just a bit, not enough to throw Gideon off, but the boy found himself suddenly able to plunge deeper inside him, and now Pavonis screamed in ecstasy, nails biting so hard into the other’s back that they drew blood.

“Nn, are… are you okay?”

“Y-yes, that’s just the spot, nn… you know, the… prostate? Ah-ahh, Gideon, please move faster…”

Though he was exhausted, Gideon obliged and moved faster, feeling a deep satisfaction at how the other writhed underneath him, that lean body pressing up into his. He couldn’t help but wonder how the other’s erection was doing, pinned between their bodies. He could feel it as he rubbed past it, and it seemed just as hard as ever, but he wondered if Pavonis wanted some more stimulation for it.

He lifted up just enough to reach a hand down, grasping the other’s cock and working down the length of it.

“Ah, yes! There you go, perfect! Thank you!”

“Heh… don’t mention it.” Gideon has never handled another man’s dick before. And this wasn’t even technically a man. But he has definitely handled his own and he figured they couldn’t be that much different. He stroked up and down the shaft, getting into sync with the thrusts of his hips, and judging by Pavonis’s pleased purr, he was doing something right.

The pressure grew higher and his body grew hotter, tension was coiling below his stomach, he was losing rhythm as he got closer and closer until-

“Gah!” With a loud shout, he climaxed, upper body leaning back as he gasped for breath.

Pavonis squeezed the human with his thighs as he felt that last hard thrust, and the sensation of fluid coating his sensitive insides was enough to push him over as well. He was a bit quieter when he cried out, but not by much. There was a pause as everything seemed to slow down, and then Gideon’s arms failed him, and he collapsed on top of the other. For a few minutes, they just rested, breathing deeply and holding each other. Pavonis stared up at the ceiling as his chest heaved, and soon raised a hand to brush back through his tangled hair.

“Wow, I… wow,” he said in disbelief.

“Hm?” Gideon raised his head, vision blurring as he looked at the other. He blinked a few times and it cleared.

“That was… wow. Really nice. You really got the hang of that.” Pavonis continued to run his fingers through his hair. “It was good for a first time. You really haven’t done that before?”

“No, I just kinda… did what felt right.”

“Heh, well… you did awesome.” Pavonis chuckled and lowered his hand, looking at the human. The other was sweaty and flushed and covered in bruises and scratches. Always a good look. He yawned and pushed at Gideon’s chest. “Can you pull out?”

“Uh… oh, right. Sorry.” Gideon quickly sat up and pulled out. He then climbed out of bed, walking across the room on shaky legs and retrieving a fresh pair of underwear. He used one of his discarded articles of clothing to wipe his palm and stomach clean of the demon’s ejaculate.

Pavonis, meanwhile, just stretched and laid back, enjoying his afterglow. He idly brushed his fingers over his own stomach, where some of his cum had smeared after release. He wiped it off and raised his fingers to his mouth to lick clean.

Gideon looked at him as he was doing this, and the boy blushed and dropped the clothing. “You’re a freak.”

“I know I am,” Pavonis said smoothly. He crossed his arms behind his head and rested a leg over the other, perfectly at ease. “You did good, Gleeful. I’m quite satisfied.”

“Do you seduce a lot of your clients?”

“Nah… only if they really get my interest. And you did. So I decided, why not try to bed you? And boy, am I glad you played along.”

“Still surprised a powerful demon like you would let me on top.”

“Eh, power has nothing to do whether you’re on the top or the bottom. It’s just preference. I’ll go for both. I just happened to want you to take the lead. And you did. It was fun for both of us.”

“Yeah. It was.” Gideon hesitated to get in the bed with him. He felt awkward, maybe even a bit disgusted. He just had sex with a demon. That was all kinds of wrong. But he was tired, and his bed was comfortable… He gave in and crawled onto the bed, laying down with his back to the door and Pavonis bundled up against his front. “I don’t know if you plan on staying here like this, but if you do… sleep right here so I can hide you from my parents if they come in.”

“Good idea.” Pavonis waved his hand, and the covers were suddenly over them rather than trapped underneath. “There. Now they really won’t see me past you.”

Gideon rested his chin on top of the other’s head, yawning. “This will work… now I’m going to sleep. Um… need anything?”

“No, I’m good. And hey, thanks. This was fun. I needed this kind of stress relief.”

“Heh, no problem. I um… enjoyed it. And it was pretty relaxing.” Gideon was happy to find that he still thought of Pavonis as nothing more than a friend. Not even that. He was more like a business partner. Just. One that he could casually sleep with. But it wasn’t really so awkward, and he didn’t let himself think too much about it. Pavonis will hopefully be done taking Dipper and Bill’s magic soon, he would leave, Gideon would set the two free and get far away to escape their inevitable wrath, and things would return to normal.

...But if he ever needs a demon’s services again in the future, he already knew who he would be calling.


	5. Stressed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Dipper's first night since he and Bill were freed, and he is forced to sleep alone while his partner is recovering in the hospital. With all the stress he still feels, and the memories of his trauma fresh in his mind... it is not at all a pleasant night.  
> Word Count: 2448

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This takes place after chapter 16 of Paying Recompense and before the Epilogue. It is the first of a sequence of drabbles (don't know how many yet) that will hopefully answer questions you may have about the aftermath of the story. If you wanna know about anything, feel free to leave me a prompt and I'll consider writing something to answer it. Keep in mind that your question may be answered in a later drabble. Thanks for reading guys, and I hope you enjoy these shorts!  
> This drabble does include a panic attack and discussion of PTSD, I have done research but as I have not personally experienced such things my descriptions could be inaccurate, so PLEASE give any criticism you feel is needed so I can get it correct. Thank you!

While Bill was in the hospital, Dipper spent most of his nights curled up with him on the narrow bed, one wing curled protectively over him, letting the older demon's presence sooth him, his magic calming his dreams.

But there were a few nights right after Bill was admitted that Dipper wasn't allowed to stay overnight. He was told to go home, they didn't want him to expose Bill to any harmful bacteria. The doctors claimed that Bill's immune system has been compromised and he would likely become very ill. He was already showing symptoms. And that was on top of the countless injuries, the cuts and torn muscles and sprained bones.

So for Bill's safety, Dipper had spent his nights at home. Alone. Curled up on the bed that felt much too big without the other by his side.

He would stare at the wall for hours, as he spoke to Bill through their mental link, trying to let his partner's words calm him and lull him to sleep. But the distance made it difficult. And Bill himself needed to sleep, so he usually left to do so, with a loving goodnight that Dipper always returned just as softly.

Then he would be alone in his mind. It put him on edge. He missed having his partner sleeping next to him, curled against him, protecting him. There wasn't really anything threatening Dipper at night, but... there were the nightmares.

His first night without Bill, he had groaned and rolled around on the bed for what felt like hours, restless and unable to get to sleep. First he figured it was just because as a demon, he didn't need to sleep. Which was true. But one shouldn't have trouble doing so if they really wanted to.

But he did eventually fall asleep, but only a few minutes passed before the startling image of a swinging blade passed behind his eyelids, and he felt the phantom pain of a knife sunk into his skin, the memory so intense that he woke up screaming.

He was overwhelmed with fear as he jolted up, shrieking more loudly at being unable to move his arms; they were caught beneath the sheets. He struggled and ripped them off, before stumbling out of bed. He was disoriented, scared without knowing why, heart thudding in his chest. Did he even have a heart anymore? Well, he had something, and it was beating wildly.

"Please, no more!" he shouted as another memory assaulted him, this time of a razor stripping his flesh off. Part of him knew it wasn't real, but the rest of him was terrified. "Not again, no!"

He turned and ran from the room, eyes closed to try and block out the images. He still felt the pain of sharp points in his flesh, hot metal, skin being torn and removed.

When he inevitably tripped, he hit the floor on his stomach, chin banging against the ground. It didn't hurt; not really. But he curled up, shaking and crying as panic seized him.

"No more, please, I don't want to think about that," he whispered. He didn't want to see his memories of what had happened to him. It was almost as bad as actually experiencing it again. How could there be so much pain just from remembering it?

He could almost hear the taunts of his captives. Mostly the voice of that red-haired demon, who had been the more brutal captor, and he has never feared and hated someone more than he did Pavonis. He was glad that he had killed the bastard. But the torture still continued, in a way...

Dipper tried to take calm breaths. He has had panic attacks before, he knew how to relax after one, but this felt so much worse. His breaths were shaky. Was this even helping? He didn't even need to breathe...

He tried to think of something else, but his thoughts kept returning to those days. Chained up, mocked, tortured. Again and again. Having agony unlike any other inflicted on him. The memories were so vivid, too. He could remember the hunger, the deep aches all over his body, being so cold he had stopped shivering after about a day, too numb and weak to continue. He had come down with a terrible flu. He wasn't sure how he had survived.

"But you survived," he reminded himself, slowly pushing himself onto his feet. "You made it through all that. It's over. You don't have to be afraid."

Hearing these statements out loud made him feel a little better, but he was still uneasy as he walked back to his room. He felt almost nervous, despite the lack of a threat.

He was a demon now, but he still felt so human. Was he supposed to still feel crippling fear like this? Though he supposed it wasn't a physical thing... it was mental. Bill had told him that his mind was still his own. Maybe he should talk to him about this tomorrow.

Dipper did manage to get a few hours of sleep that night, but as his dreams turned into nightmares about the trauma of the past several days, he immediately got up again and decided to waste time practicing his magic until the hospital was open for visitors.

The moment he was allowed in, he was running through the doors and asking to see Bill. After confirming the name and room number, he was allowed up, but warned to be quiet as he could be sleeping.

Well, Dipper could sense Bill's thoughts so he knew he was awake, so he just nodded and rushed to an elevator. As it went up, he ran his hands over his face, making sure his appearance had shifted to look less demonic. He knew for sure his wings were gone, but he had other features that were suspicious as well.

Satisfied that he looked like an acceptable human, he put his hands back down and waited for the elevator to stop.

Once it did, he hurried out to find Bill. When he entered the room, he saw that a nurse was already there checking on him, so he stood back as she finished. It seemed to take forever, but finally she left, giving Dipper a smile as she did.

"He's in pain but I increased his dosage, he should be okay to talk for a while," she said.

Dipper nodded and walked over to the bed, resting his arms on it as he looked at Bill. A frown tugged at his lips at the stress on the other's face, eyes roaming over every set of stitches and bandages he had, down his neck and out along his arms. And there were more he knew, underneath the gown and sheet.

"Hey," he said gently to him.

His partner's golden eye gleamed, and he grinned, pushing himself up on an arm. He didn't make a sound, though pain flitted across his face. "Pine Tree," he greeted, holding out his other arm.

Dipper leaned down to hug him. He wanted nothing more than to just crawl in next to him and hold him, but he couldn't. Bill was still too weak.

"Why do you stay in this body with it being so damaged?" Dipper asked. "You have to be in a lot of pain."

"If I leave it, then it's pretty much dead. It doesn't have its own soul anymore. Bodily functions kinda continue, but... if I leave, it basically goes into a coma. It won't heal itself near as quickly. So I stay in it, to let it heal. I've been feeding it my magic too."

"Okay. Well, that's a very strong thing to do."

"Ah, the pain isn't so bad. I've had worse. But morphine is a hell of a drug."

Dipper chuckled, glancing at the drip bag. "Don't get addicted."

"I won't. So hey, how was your night? Was it weird having to go home without me?"

"Really weird." Dipper sat on the bed next to him, mindful of where the various monitors hooked up to him. "I uh... had a hard time sleeping."

Bill frowned, sitting up a little more. Dipper wanted to tell him to lay down, but he knew the demon wouldn't listen. "Did you? Mind if I look?"

Bill couldn't search through his mind as easily as he could when he was human. There were more rules now, with Dipper being a demon.

"Go ahead." Dipper waited as Bill carefully delved into his mind. The magic felt invasive, but Dipper reminded himself that it was just his partner, it was fine.

After a few moments, Bill blinked and stared at him. "You had a panic attack and nightmares about what happened?"

Dipper nodded. "Yeah, it was really bad, I felt sick and I couldn't stop shaking. Is that normal?"

"You went through a lot of stress in a short amount of time. You're probably traumatized."

"B-but I'm not human anymore, should I still feel that kind of fear?"

"Demons can be afraid. And they can certainly have panic attacks. Don't feel like you're weak because of this. It's a natural response to trauma."

Dipper was quiet for a few moments, staring off into space. Then he said, "I can't stop thinking about what happened. I don't want to think about it, it still scares me, even though it's all over and it will never happen again... but what if it does? What if someone else figures out who we are and tries to do the same? Bill, I can't go through that again!"

Bill sensed the other's energy spike with fear, and quickly grabbed onto him, holding him tightly until it passed. "It's okay, it won't happen again, we'll be more vigilant, never leaving a trace, magical or otherwise. Well, there may still be traces. But we'll make it as hard as possible to track us. Besides, with both of us being demons, I don't think we have anything to worry about. So please, don't be afraid."

"I'm sorry, I just... I don't know what's wrong with me," Dipper confessed, shifting to lay in Bill's arms. He didn't want to hurt him, but the other was insisting he relax, so he let him pull him close.

"There is nothing wrong with you. Nothing broken. Just a normal response to trauma. I would have been amazed if you went through all that with no negative side effects, even if you are physically healed from your transformation."

"So... you think it is mental."

"It's entirely mental. I don't need control over the mind to see that." Bill pressed a kiss to his temple. "And I can't fix it, before you ask. You have to find your own ways to cope."

"I... I don't know if I can... I don't even know what to call this.... thing I'm experiencing."

Bill stroked his back, giving him a thoughtful look. Then he said, "You have post-traumatic stress disorder."

"PTSD?" Dipper pushed himself up, staring at him. "You think that's it?"

"Certainly. You're displaying a lot of the symptoms. Nightmares, constant thinking about the event, unease despite being in a safe environment... I'm certain you have it."

"Can... can it be healed?"

"With therapy. Like I said, you have to find your own way past it. I can't do anything. I can talk to you, and listen, and comfort you. But it's up to you to cope. I'm sorry I can't be of any more help here."

"But you can completely rewire minds, surely you can do something!"

"I can do that. But I won't on you. It'd be extremely difficult on a fellow demon. Also, it wouldn't be right. Doing that would be like brainwashing. Mind control, almost. No. I won't do that to you. No matter how bad it may seem, if I tried to alter your mind like that, you'd feel worse. Sorry."

Dipper sighed, head flopping against him. "I just don't want to remember it..."

Bill's fingers slid down his back. "So remember something else. Remember the first time I got this body?"

Dipper smiled at the memory. "You were so happy with it. And you complained about how he was a smoker."

"Yep. And you were so taken with it that you almost immediately started making out with me."

"You were hot. You're still hot."

"Even now?"

Dipper gazed at him, at the single eye that remained, the scars and bruises, the oily hair that really needed to be washed and brushed. Then he smiled. "Even laying in a hospital bed, probably needing a serious bath, you're beautiful." He pressed a kiss to his lips.

Bill chuckled as he responded, then said, "They said they'll try to help me into the shower today."

"Good. You need it."

"Although it's gonna mostly be a scrub down, they said. I have wounds and stuff they don't want water pouring into."

"Understandable." Dipper kissed him again, below the medical eye-patch he wore. "You're still the most attractive person in this hospital. In this world, I bet."

Bill hummed. "I dunno, there are billions of people on this planet..."

"Heh. Yeah, and some of them are probably pretty good looking too. But you know what? They aren't you."

Bill laughed. "You're so sappy. Okay, see, you're smiling and cheered up now. Think about this, about the happy stuff. Not what those bastards did to us. One is dead and the other is avoiding us. And has already begged for forgiveness during the nightmare I gave him last night, which I think was far worse than the one you had. I won't go into detail but when he woke up, he was actually in the bathroom and starting to look for bandages before realizing he wasn't actually hurt."

"Damn. I can only imagine." Dipper laid quietly with the other for a while, enjoying the feel of Bill's fingers stroking his hair. He felt more at peace next to him. Like nothing could hurt him.

"Let that be your comfort," Bill said. "I will protect you. No need to be afraid."

"Yeah," Dipper agreed. "I'll be okay. I can't let these memories get to me. I'm... safe. I'm very safe." It was easy to say it.

But it was a long time before the panic attacks stopped, and even when they did, he still had his memories of what had been done to him, and it still made him nervous, looking around a lot, making sure he was safe. It was a feeling of unease that would always be with him, and all he could do was accept it, and hope that one day, he would feel alright again.


	6. Astraphobia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dipper must learn to cope with a new phobia, and Bill does his best to help him, but in the end, it's up to Dipper himself to try to adjust. And it's likely only the first of many. Only time will tell.  
> Word Count: 2429

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This takes place between Chapter 16 and the Epilogue of Paying Recompense. It has been roughly a week since their escape. Warning for description of a panic attack.

After about a week of being in the hospital, Bill was restless. He complained a lot, snapped at nurses, and was generally uncooperative when it came to being given medication or having bandages changed.

Dipper ended up having to coordinate with the staff to have them come in during his visits, when Bill was more relaxed.

"I get that you hate it here, but they're just doing their jobs," Dipper said, sitting on the bed so Bill's head was resting in his lap. Every time a nurse did something he didn't like, Dipper would cut off his growl by leaning down and kissing him. The little upside-down kisses were usually kinda awkward, which would make them both giggle.

Keeping his head down, he spoke to the other softly, massaging his shoulders and neck. Bill sounded annoyed, but responded to him willingly enough.

Finally, the nurses left and they were alone.

"Finally," Bill groaned, the tension leaving him. "I know they're just doing a job, but I hate being touched by strangers."

"I'm sorry," Dipper offered.

Bill grumbled. "More humans need to learn magic. It's not hard. Then they could just heal me quickly and get it over with."

Dipper began playing with Bill's hair. "I want to heal you. But it'd be too suspicious. Especially now that they know what all of your injuries are."

"I know..." Bill sighed. "I shouldn't have come here, I should have had you heal me, but we were both tired and weak and I needed medical attention immediately. And here I am."

"Sorry," was all Dipper could really think of to say.

Bill shrugged. "Whatever. I'll get out eventually. At least they let us sleep together now."

"Yes. That is nice, especially since I haven't had a nightmare since."

"I'm glad to hear that. How are you doing, by the way? Any more attacks?"

Dipper looked out the window. It was a cloudy day. The sky was dark and grey. "Some. Not as bad, though. I think I'm kinda getting used to the memories."

"That's good. Talk to me whenever you need to. You'll get through this."

Dipper continued to look outside. His hearing was sharper now, and he was aware of a low rumbling in the distance. It made him uneasy.

Bill looked over too. "Oh yeah... I think there's gonna be a thunderstorm today."

"Some rain would be nice," Dipper said. "Remember how we would watch storms together? Maybe we could do that today."

"I would love that."

They talked until they heard the first drops of rain hit the window. They soon stopped talking to watch, as the sky darkened even more and the rain grew heavier.

"If only it was colder, then we'd have snow," Bill said.

"Heh, Oregon doesn't normally get snow until later in the year."

"Yeah, but it'd be nice to see some."

Dipper resumed petting Bill's hair as they watched it rain, and the other shifted to get more comfortable, a content sigh escaping him.

Everything was fine until the first bolt of lightning.

Immediately, Dipper leapt up. His wings rematerialized and he was on the other side of the room and clawing desperately at the wall before he even knew what he was doing.

"Pine Tree?" Bill called in alarm, rubbing his neck as it ached at how roughly he had been thrown off Dipper's lap.

Dipper was shaking, massive wings flapping wildly as he hovered near the door. But he removed his claws from the wall, flicking his hands to make them look like fingernails again.

"Dipper!" Bill shouted.

Dipper shook his head, snapping out of his panic and landing on the ground. He turned back to Bill, confused, and heard another peal of thunder. He jumped, sinking into the corner and shaking. He couldn't think straight, fear taking over him.

Bill's eyes widened in realization, and then he flopped back onto his pillow. A moment later, his triangular demon form emerged, flying over to Dipper. He reached toward him slowly, seeing Dipper's ears flick forward; almost all of his demon traits had returned.

"It's okay," Bill said, and something about his regular voice, echoing and high-pitched, was strangely comforting. It was familiar, really. Dipper liked how Bill's voice sounded when using the host body, but this was his real voice.

"I'm sorry," Dipper replied, beginning to cry. Bill floated in front of him, gently taking his face in his hands and pulling him close.

Dipper leaned into the older demon's hold, reaching up to wrap his arms around him. Awkward with Bill's shape, but he was used to it.

Bill didn't speak, just comforting him with his presence and touch. After a while, he began stroking Dipper's hair.

"I'm okay, I j-just... hearing the thunder, seeing lightning, it... it reminded me of Pavonis, how he would electrocute us... I'm sorry, this is so stupid..." Dipper's voice was shaky.

Bill continued to pet him. "No it's not. The lightning triggered bad memories and you panicked. No big deal."

"But it is a big deal! I shouldn't be getting scared like this all the time!"

"You're going to have fears associated with the torture for quite some time. I understand, Pine Tree. Don't be ashamed of it. You'll get through it, I promise." He held him tight as there was more thunder. Dipper squeezed his eyes shut, ears laying flat.

"It's just thunder," he reminded himself. "Simply the sound of air being forcibly expanded as a result of the increased heat and pressure caused by lightning. It's... okay."

"Yeah," Bill encouraged. "You're okay. Just breathe. You can get through this. You're strong."

"I wonder what else I'm unreasonably afraid of now," Dipper laughed weakly. "Knives? Charcoal? Imagine that. What if I'm terrified of barbecues from now on?"

"Ssh, no, you won't be. You will be okay. You'll recover. As for knives... haven't you cooked?"

"No. I haven't eaten at all. I don't need to."

"Pine Tree! You need to eat! Sure, demons don't really require food, but if you aren't making deals then you need to get energy from somewhere! Go home and eat after your visit, you hear me? Actually... go down to the cafeteria, get something right now. Walking should calm your nerves too. Go on."

Dipper didn't want to leave, but he let Bill coax him to his feet, and he fixed his clothes. Then he placed his hand over the claw marks in the wall, repairing them.

Bill's single eye stared at him, waiting. He sighed and leaned over to kiss him. "Okay, I'm leaving."

"Hold on." Bill grabbed his wing. "Fix your appearance before you scare people."

"Oh. Right." Dipper concentrated, his form shifting so that besides his blue freckles, he looked normal. He awkwardly held Bill's hand, then headed downstairs.

His stomach churned with nerves as he walked into the cafeteria. The smell of various foods did not interest him. He bought oatmeal, yogurt, a banana, and a bottle of orange juice. It cost too much, in his opinion. When he sat down with his tray, he just stared at the food for a while. He could still hear thunder, and his toes clenched. He forced himself to spoon up some oatmeal.

Bill spoke to him in thought while he ate, and he relaxed at the sound of his voice. The dream demon projected a sort of calming energy with his thoughts, and it made Dipper feel better.

The last thing Dipper ate was the banana, so of course, Bill started making innuendos that had the younger laughing.

Then Bill turned serious. _I'm not kidding, Pine Tree. I would love for you to do that. Lucifer, I'm so frustrated_.

 _Oh, I bet_. Dipper chuckled as he ate.  _I miss hearing you moan underneath me. I miss how you would dominate me. I just... as soon as you get out, I'm pinning you to the bed. Hell, I might not even make it completely into the Shack... I may just take you on that couch out on the porch_.

Bill was quiet for a moment. Dipper could sense his desire. Then he said, _If I wasn't hooked up to these machines that would alert someone of my heart rate jumping, I would pull you onto me the moment you returned._

_Guess you gotta wait._

_Heh, I guess so._ _But hey, if you're talking like this, you must be feeling better!_

_I am. I'm coming back up_. Dipper threw his trash away and went back upstairs.

Bill was back in his body, sitting up watching TV. It was still raining, and there was the occasional flash of lightning, but Dipper only cringed slightly. He went to sit next to Bill.

"Anything interesting on TV?" he asked.

Bill gave a noncommittal grunt. "Not really. This only has basic channels. News. Shopping. Sports... hockey mostly. Like three cartoon stations, and a Spanish soap opera channel. Not much else." He glanced over at Dipper, raising his eyebrows. "Discovery Channel and Sci-Fi, you like those, right?"

"Eh, I liked them better years ago. But they're okay."

"Great. I turned on How It's Made."

"Ooh." Dipper did like that show. He scooted closer to Bill, and the other rested an arm around his waist, leaning against him.

"Feeling any better?" Bill asked.

"A little," Dipper replied.

"How was the food?"

"Bland."

Bill wrinkled his nose. "Yeah, I haven't been impressed with any of these meals. I can't wait to have your cooking again."

"I'll make you steak. Rare, just like you like."

Bill smiled, licking his lips. "With those cheese mashed potatoes?"

"Of course. The cheddar flavor."

"Mm, yeah. That sounds amazing."

Dipper turned to press a kiss to his lips. "With Red Velvet cake?"

Bill groaned. "Pine Tree, you're making me hungry."

"Aw, I'm sorry. I'll make you whatever you want when you get out. I promise."

"I look forward to it. I am seriously tired of that bland chicken and potatoes they keep feeding me. The steamed vegetables with no seasoning... ugh. There's cooking healthy, but there are better ways to do it than this. Healthy does not have to equal bland."

Dipper chuckled. "Maybe I should teach them to cook."

"You should." Bill shifted over, and understanding what he wanted, Dipper moved so his legs were on either side of his hips and he was able to lean his back against his front.

Dipper rested his chin onto Bill's head, wrapping his arms around him.

"This is nice," Bill said. "I wish you could just stay here all the time."

"I can. They're letting me stay here overnight now. I don't have to leave."

"No... you shouldn't be cooped up in here. I want you out there, running the Shack, learning your new abilities."

"I don't even think I have anything new... Everything is stronger, but... Nothing is really new."

Bill nodded a bit. "All right... Have you figured out how to pass between planes yet? To the Dreamscape, at least?"

"I have gotten into the Dreamscape. But the others... I don't really know where I'm going, so I can't get there."

"All right. I'll try to lead you some time, then. But you really haven't noticed any new abilities?"

"No... well. One. One that I don't want to use." Dipper stretched an arm out straight, palm up. "Don't panic." He took in a reassuring breath, and then took hold of his magic. A tingle passed from his core and out along his arm, and electricity sparked between his fingers with a loud sizzling sound.

Bill jumped, and Dipper himself closed his eyes briefly. When he opened them, the electricity was already gone.

“Electricity,” Bill muttered.

“Yeah. Alongside my pyrokinesis, now I have electrokinesis. Like… him.”

Bill reached up to take hold of Dipper’s hand, gently winding their fingers together. “It even looked like his magic… but that makes sense. A lot of your energy is his. I’m guessing that over time, it will convert over into your magic, but… anything you do that you got from him, will probably involve magic like that.”

“That’s gonna suck. I don’t want to use this power. Ever.”

“Then don’t. If it’s too much for you, you don’t need to use it.”

Dipper nodded a bit, returning his arms to around Bill’s waist.

“Can you see the future like he can? Or the past? Or scry on other places?”

“I haven’t really tried.”

“You should. Maybe you obtained those abilities from him. If not… you must have something new. Something unique that comes with being a demon. You just have to figure out what. It may be a while before you do. But I have faith that you’ll discover it soon.”

“But I already knew so many spells… all of which I can still do. What is left for me to be able to do?”

“Many things. But it would take a long time for me to list every single ability I’ve ever heard of. Again, I can help you try to figure out what it is. But for now, just relax. You don’t have to rush anything.”

“Mhm. Okay.” Dipper closed his eyes. The next time he heard thunder, he didn’t jump. He reminded himself of how it used to relax him. How he would always enjoy falling asleep to the sound of it. The pattering of rain against the side of the building, the low rumbling and occasional louder crack… nothing to fear. Just nature.

He almost wanted to drift off to sleep. Despite it still being relatively early in the day, sleeping with Bill in his arms sounded amazing right now. A little nap, at least. They could do that much.

He communicated this desire to Bill silently, and the other obliged. He shifted so Dipper could lay down next to him, and once he was stretched out comfortably on his back, the younger draped over him, resting his head on his chest. Though Bill was sore, he could ignore the feeling. He just focused on Dipper, petting his back and using his limited abilities to coax him into sleeping. Once the other was out, he smiled and looked up at the ceiling. Dipper may have a lot of fears he will have to learn to cope with now, but Bill was going to help him through every single one of them. After all… he was once a young demon too, even if it was a very long time ago. He knew how to help his partner. All it would take was time, and trust. Two things that he knew they had.


	7. Catching Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bill's finally out of the hospital. Let the fun begin.  
> Word Count: 4445

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And thus begins the one-shots that take place after Paying Recompense completely. These will hopefully go into detail about what their dealings with those who owe Bill payments will be like, as well as other slice of life events such as Soos and Melody's baby being born, Dipper connecting with his sister more, Dipper learning about his new abilities, etc. I'm looking forward to writing all this and I hope y'all are looking forward to reading them. Thanks for reading so far. <3  
> This one is NSFW, though the sex is fairly vanilla. Includes scratching and biting, but that's fairly normal for these two. Enjoy~

Dipper wasted time while Bill was in the hospital by practicing with his new abilities. Now that he was a demon, he could perform all of his old spells with far more ease than before, possessing so much energy that it felt like he was hopped up on several Red Bulls. Many days, he just did all he could to get it all out, because otherwise he felt excited, jittery, ready to just run and fly and do _something_ productive. On those days where he was hyperactive, he would often just sprint through the forest around the Mystery Shack, leaping through trees and running as fast as he could, his reflexes so sharp that he easily dodged trees and leapt over rocks and roots. And when running wasn't doing it for him, he would open his new wings and soar into the sky, flying as fast and as hard as possible. That usually tired him out, but even then, it would take hours of movement to make him want to stop.

When it came to spells, he still favored his fire magic. It was good and strong, and could easily spread and cause massive damage if he didn't keep control over it. But there was another ability that came easily to him as well, that still made him shudder. Control over electricity. He could cover his arms with purple lightning, its energy tingling along his skin as it raced up and down, and if he decided to direct it somewhere, it went in a flash and bang, only visible for a split second. He knew it was because he had taken Pavonis's soul. It was one of the few abilities he seemed to have gained from the psychic demon. However, he hardly used it, still too uneasy with the sound of thunder.

He was able to lift objects with magic before, but doing it was easier now, less of a spell and more of simply... an ability. And besides that, he sometimes saw flashes of things happening in other places and times, lasting for only moments before fading away. Somehow, he always knew if it was in the past, present, or future. With focus, he was able to control his clairvoyance and intentionally look for things, and sometimes would just sit and watch events occur all over the world, eyes wide open and irises glowing intensely as he observed. He only knew that they glowed because he has used a mirror out of curiosity... they took on a purple magic whenever he used any power that was linked to Pavonis. Otherwise, his magic manifested yellow like it did before.

He felt like he had a pretty good handle on his magic and strength by the time Bill was finally deemed healthy enough to go home. He almost cried as he ran into the other's arms, having walked into the hospital to find Bill already downstairs and at the front desk checking out. Bill had turned to find himself receiving an armful of happy demon, and had almost lost his balance, but managed to straighten up and hug the other back.

“Hey, Pine Tree!” he greeted, rubbing the other's hair, then moving his hand down to caress Dipper's ear. In the boy's haste to get to the hospital, he hadn't even bothered to disguise himself. He was clearly a demon, wings and all. Bill's other hand stroked along one of those leathery wings.

Blushing, Dipper straightened up and looked around quickly to see who noticed. They were certainly getting some looks. This hospital was used by residents of Gravity Falls, but they weren't the only people who came here. It was the main hospital for the entire county. So those who weren't entirely familiar with the supernatural were giving Dipper shocked stares.

“We should go ahead and leave,” Bill suggested as he picked a few things up off the counter and said goodbye to the clerk.

She smiled and returned the goodbye, and Bill led Dipper out.

“I swear I'm not Satan,” Dipper called to the others before following Bill outside.

Once they were out in the cool air, Dipper stretched out his wings and laughed, before grabbing onto Bill again and swinging him around as he hugged him.

“Did ya miss me?” Bill teased, grinning at his partner.

“I saw you every day,” Dipper replied, kissing the corner of his mouth. “Of course not.”

“But you missed having me at home with you, I bet.”

“Ha, as if. I get along just fine without you.”

“Oh, I'm sure. Ah-” Bill winced, and Dipper quickly let go of him. The demon stumbled back, hugging his ribs. “Ah, I'm fine, just... still a bit tender in areas.”

“Are you sure you're okay?”

“Yes, okay enough... I'll survive. My body will survive.”

“Good.” Dipper worried his lip as he looked at Bill's eye patch, then reached into his pocket to take out a new one. “Here. I got you a nicer eye patch.”

“Ah, kid, you shouldn't have!” Bill accepted it and carelessly yanked off the old one. Dipper couldn't help looking at his right eye socket. It looked much better than when the eye had first been removed. The doctors had done an excellent job cleaning it up, but it was still somewhat disgusting seeing the indentation with no eye inside it. Bill soon placed the new patch over the spot, adjusting the strap around his head and doing his best to pull his hair over most of it. “There. How do I look?”

“Much better,” Dipper agreed. He would have liked to examine the rest of him, but Bill was wearing jeans and a sweater that Mabel had made for him, so it wasn't exactly possible to see how his other injuries looked. The ones on his face were mere scars now, though. Dipper still leaned in to look at them, brushing his fingers over each, frowning as he could remember who and what caused every single one. The exact weapon used, and which of their captors had done it... He scowled.

“Are you still ignoring Gideon?” Bill asked.

“Yeah, somewhat. He's going to go to high school after next summer, it's halfway through the year so he's not going to bother now. He said he took classes while in prison, but he's gonna start with ninth grade anyway. Doesn't want to miss out on anything. Meanwhile, he's working at his dad's dealership and I think he goes to the library during his free time. I see him reading there a lot.”

“Ah. Well, I... I don't want to wish the best for him after what he did, but... as long as he keeps busy and stays away from us.”

“He will. If he happens to see me, he never approaches me. He just stays away. I think he's afraid that I'm gonna decide to just kill him.”

“I wouldn't blame you. In fact, I'd help.” Bill seemed tired, stretching and yawning. When Dipper gave him a curious look, he said, “I'm used to sleeping through the day, heh. But I'm all right.”

Dipper smiled and lifted him easily in his arms. “Let's go home.”

Bill looked up at him with amusement, resting an arm around the other's shoulders. “You're so strong now.”

“Yep.” Dipper nuzzled him, and spread his wings open.

Bill admired them as they stretched out. “Kinda funny, isn't it? Now you're the strong demon and I'm like a helpless human.”

“Except you're still a demon,” Dipper reminded him.

“Yes, but if I want to experience things the way you do, I have to keep using this vessel. Meanwhile, you're a demon but completely in reality. Your senses are all intact in this plane of existence. Lucky.”

“You can exist in reality, thanks to the kills we've made.”

“Yeah... kinda. If I really concentrate. But Pavonis took a lot of strength from me. It's hard for me to do that now. I wish you had shared when you killed him.”

“Sorry. I wasn't thinking about it.”

“That's obvious. Come on, Flappy. Fly us home.”

Dipper's wings came down and he took off, carrying his partner back toward Gravity Falls and the Mystery Shack. Bill remained happily snuggled up in his arms, not really talking, just resting and enjoying being with the other.

When Dipper arrived at the Mystery Shack, he didn't put Bill down right away. Instead, he continued to carry him, magically opening the door so he could walk inside. He carried his partner through the building and upstairs, taking him into their room. Once that door was closed behind them, lights left off, Dipper gently dropped Bill onto his back on their bed.

“Ohh, I think I know where this is going,” Bill commented, fingers digging into the blanket slightly.

Dipper smiled as he climbed up onto the bed with him, reaching down to slide his hands under Bill's sweater and pull the garment off. It was carelessly thrown aside, and he examined the scars on Bill's body, the wounds that had to be stitched together or bandaged.

“Does any of this still hurt?” he asked quietly.

“Ah, a little, but that's why they gave me this prescription for a painkiller!” Bill shifted and dug a piece of paper out of his pocket.

Dipper chuckled as he took it and read it. “Hm, good stuff. But you won't be needing it.” He put it on the table next to the bed, then returned his attention to Bill. He placed his hands on his waist, feeling a buzz of energy that was quite new. His ears perked up. “It feels like you have an electrical charge. Though... not quite. It's weird, I can't describe it, but... I can feel something coming from you.”

Bill smirked. “Well, isn't it obvious? I'm a demon. You're a demon. You're sensing my energy. You can do this any time you touch someone's bare skin, but with me... It's much stronger because we're kin.”

“Huh. I'm getting used to it. Feels... nice, actually. Kinda warm.” Dipper slid his hands up and down Bill's sides, then focused. “Okay. Hold on, I need to do something...”

He was briefly afraid that this wouldn't work, that maybe he had lost this power, but no, he still had it. Yellow magic flowed over Bill's skin in a wave, wrapping around his torso, cascading down his arms, sliding up to his neck and stopping under his chin. It circled him for a few moments, and he relaxed and sighed, expression noticeably softening.

Dipper lifted his hands and the magic dispersed, and he was pleased to see that all the wounds were gone, some lingering as scars, but most completely gone. Stitches were gone as well; he must have subconsciously desired for them to disappear. Bill sat up and pressed his fingers to a few areas, looking impressed. He peeled off bandages, finding the skin underneath to be healed.

Dipper gathered up the bandages and disposed of them, then smiled at Bill and leaned down to kiss him. The other kissed back enthusiastically, and that warm energy tingled through him, making him grow warmer. Their gentle kiss quickly turned into more passionate making out, as they haven't been able to touch each other like this for weeks. Dipper found himself making strangely bold decisions, tilting his head and running his tongue along Bill's lips, waiting for the other to open his mouth wider before slipping his tongue in to stroke along the other's.

Bill seemed to chuckle, not exactly displeased with the other's new confidence. He moved his tongue against Dipper's, and when the young demon licked his palate, he moaned and rubbed against the leg that had braced between his.

Dipper panted as he pulled away, leaving behind a trail of saliva. “Wh-whoa, Bill... sorry man, I don't know what came over me...” He looked over Bill, who was sprawled back with his hands clenching the covers, face flushed red and pupil blown with lust. That expression did things to Dipper, sent heat straight to his groin, and he bit his lip.

“You have a demon's confidence,” Bill explained. “You're not nervous about this anymore. You weren't really nervous before, you had gotten used to it, but now... You have absolutely no hesitation to do whatever you want to me. And...” He took Dipper's hand, guiding it to his crotch. The other inhaled as he felt Bill's erection. “And that confidence is extremely hot.”

Dipper glanced down at Bill's groin, then tackled him, holding him down as he kissed him deeply.

Bill responded eagerly, wiggling a bit as he kicked off his shoes, sliding his hands down Dipper's back and grasping at his sweatshirt, tugging on it. Dipper sat back to remove it, pausing to take care of the rest of his clothes. He straddled Bill's hips as he did, only moving when he had to take off his pants. Bill took advantage of this to take care of his own clothing, and it was soon all strewn on the floor around the bed.

Dipper considered whether or not he wanted to leave his underwear on, then decided that with how frustrated they both were, they'd probably get ripped off later. So he removed them and threw them down.

Bill did the same with his, and Dipper grinned as he returned his hands to his partner's hips, sliding them down and under his legs, spreading them apart.

“Ooh, Pine Tree, you really aren't hesitating are you?” Bill purred. It was obvious from his arousal that he was enjoying every bit of this.

“Nope. It's so weird, but I'm just... not shy about this at all. Like...” Dipper leaned down, nuzzling against Bill's cock, making him gasp. “I'm just not nervous. I know what to do, and I'm gonna do it.”

“And what- ohh, fuck!” Bill swore and leaned his head back as Dipper's mouth closed around him, tongue pressing to his underside and hot breath wafting over his length. Dipper closed his eyes to focus as he swallowed the other back, until the tip hit the back of his throat. There was no gag reflex like normal... of course, he didn't need to breathe anymore. It was just nice to.

Bill moaned as Dipper bobbed his head up and down his length, fingers winding into the other's hair, tugging on him in time. Dipper didn't mind, since he didn't really feel pain like he used to. He could feel it, but he had a much higher tolerance.

Dipper began humming as he worked, pleased when Bill squirmed. He scratched his claws down Bill's sides and the dream demon arched, giving a breathy shout of “Dipper!” that went right to Dipper's dick. He pulled his tongue back, dragging his tongue over the tip to collect the bit of precum from it. Bill sighed lowly, body trembling.

“Fuck, you're so attractive,” he groaned. He looked down at the other perched between his legs, watching him attentively. “I mean, you always were, but now... you smell like a demon. You feel like one. It... it really turns me on.”

“I can tell.” Dipper crawled closer, putting his head over Bill's. “I want to please you. I want to love you, to satisfy you...” His voice lowered, “to fuck you. Tell me what you want.”

Bill's eye widened slightly, but he answered. “I want to stay on my back, certainly. I want to be able to see your expressions as you take me and move inside me. I want to watch your mouth as you say those sweet nothings to me, or as you dirty talk in that wonderfully seductive manner you have.”

Dipper's hand slowly lowered to his cock, giving it a few pumps, eyes trained on Bill attentively.

Bill stuttered for a moment as he saw this, then he focused and continued. “I want you inside me. Roughly fucking me with all the new strength you have as a demon, with all the confidence that being like me gives you, feeling your heat and energy and love... I want all of you, I want your body and mind and emotions and... I'll give you all of me, take me whenever you want! I want it!”

Dipper stared down at him, breathing deeply as a strange feeling overtook him. He recognized some of it as lust... he had a burning lust right now, actually. It was making his thoughts fuzzy, mind losing focus, but... he could focus on Bill's body. He definitely focused on Bill's body, licking his lips as he examined it, as he read the other's aura in a way he didn't quite understand. He wasn't really thinking anymore. He was aroused. That he knew. And he knew that he was desired.

“You want me?” he asked in a husky voice, using magic to retrieve their lube from its drawer.

Bill shifted to grind into him, and Dipper shivered at the pleasure, feeling his rational mind slip even further away. “Of course I do, baby,” Bill said with a smirk.

“All right... hold still.” Dipper took a few minutes to prepare him, using copious amounts of lube, too distracted to make it a clean job. But Bill really didn't care, relaxing around his partner's fingers, making throaty moans that easily made Dipper harder.

When the young demon decided that was enough, he carefully pulled his fingers back and applied lubricant to himself, coating his shaft thoroughly, barely thinking now. It felt like he was running on autopilot. His desire was like a fire blazing in him now, he couldn't think of anything else except Bill's body, and how much he wanted to be inside it, and how good it was going to feel...

“Just let go and ravage me, kid.” Bill's arms moved around Dipper's neck, drawing him close as the other mounted him, wrapping his legs around his waist.

Dipper closed his eyes, trying to focus past the heat coursing through him and the fog in his brain. He's never felt like this during sex, and he was worried.

“Don't worry,” Bill murmured, feeling Dipper carefully guide his tip to his entrance. He spoke into the boy's ear. “That's just that overpowering demonic lust. You'll learn to control it, but this time, I want you to just let it take over. I want you to know what it's like to just completely let go. So you can better control it later. I'll survive, I like it rough. Now, Dipper... destroy me.”

The command seemed to shred any more resistance he had. His desire consumed him, threw aside the last of his intelligent thoughts, as he simply let emotion take over and moved. He slammed into the other, and Bill called out in approval.

Dipper paused for only a moment to see if there were any complaints, then began moving. He didn't hold back, moving roughly, pushing in as deep as he could, withdrawing almost completely, and thrusting back in.

Bill was soon a hot mess underneath him, panting and moaning and crying out Dipper's name. He tried to keep his eye open to watch how he was moving, but it was just too much, and he had to keep it closed.

Dipper adjusted slightly, one hand on the bed, the other tightly gripping Bill's hip and rocking him in time to his rhythm. The bed was shaking, and Bill found himself laughing, his heightened emotions and racing hormones making him positively giddy.

Not exactly programmed to respond to laughter, Dipper's demon instincts faded enough for him to get some awareness of what he was doing. He blinked and stared down at the other as if just now seeing him, mouth going dry at the ecstatic expression on his partner's face, and he dove down to kiss him.

“Heh, oh Pine Tree,” Bill chuckled, affectionately nuzzling the other. “You are delightful today. Please keep going.”

“I feel a bit disoriented,” Dipper confessed.

“Oh, you aren't used to how strong your lust is now... you just snapped out of the frenzy, I think. But I won't mind if you get back into it.”

Dipper wasn't fully sure what he was talking about, but he let go, closing his eyes and resuming his strong rhythm. Bill cried out in pleasure and bucked up against him, body squirming and head tilting back. Sensing the motion, Dipper shifted to kiss Bill's throat, dragging his tongue along it and nibbling over his pulse.

“A-ahh... ah... Pine Tree, nngh...” Bill was so hard by now, and he reached between their grinding bodies, trying to get more friction for his arousal. He grasped it, stroked it firmly as the other moved over him.

Dipper began dragging his free hand down Bill's body, claws cutting his skin open, making the other gasp and moan, shaking. Encouraged by the other's response, Dipper decided to take it further, and bit into Bill's throat.

The demon's keen of ecstasy sent heat pulsing through him, and he sank his teeth in further, tasting blood.

“Oh gods, ohh... Mm, Pine Tree, I... Ahh...” Bill's body convulsed slightly, back arching, so close to orgasm that it was almost painful. “Please, just... haha, I need you to... bite me again. Please. And lick it.”

Dipper complied, first licking off the wound he had already left, then moving over, nosing at a higher spot to make sure it was sensitive enough, then sinking his teeth in there. His canines tore in and drew blood, and when he swept his tongue over it, Bill tensed up and came.

The older demon was in absolute bliss as he finished, head back and eye closed as he savored the burning pain in his neck and how it mixed so perfectly with the pleasure in his body, in an overload of sensation that left him breathless. His hand milked himself dry, and then he let go and rested his arm around Dipper, using him for support as he did his best to continue moving with him.

Dipper groaned into the tender skin of Bill's neck, licking all the blood from it and waiting for the bites to stop bleeding before lifting his head. He was lost in pleasure, burying himself into the other's heat, listening closely to how he moaned and gasped.

Bill kept his eye closed, aware that this was quickly turning him back on, and hoping Dipper would be done soon. He really didn't need to be aroused again, because he knew he would go again, and his body really didn't need that kind of stress. But... everything was just so hot and heavy and good...

Dipper gave a final hard thrust that managed to make Bill wince, moaning against the demon's throat as he came.

Bill breathed out a sigh of relief, feeling his lust fade as he pushed himself up on an arm. He rubbed Dipper's back, chuckling at how his wings laid out limply. The other seemed completely spent.

“Hey, love,” he purred. “You all right?”

Dipper looked up at him, eyes big and shining with emotion. “Oh my God. Bill... what just happened?”

“We just had the best sex I've ever had with you,” Bill replied, grinning at how dazed the other looked.

“Oh man, I... I completely lost control, I faded out, and... oh man.” Dipper pushed himself up, pulling out and sitting back on his ankles.

Bill gave a knowing chuckle. “It happens. I told you... demonic lust is powerful. It is easy to lose yourself. Become oblivious to everything except just how good it feels. You were definitely lost. But I loved it.” He drifted his fingers down Dipper's back. “You'll get used to it and then you'll be able to not only be rough with me, but also passionate. I can't wait until you get me under you like that and make out with me the entire time. You were too gone for that today, unfortunately. A bit too focused on yourself.”

“Ah, sorry...” Dipper could remember all of it, and was mildly embarrassed that he lost control. But he couldn't deny that it had all felt awesome. Way better than any sex they've had before, in his opinion.

“Don't apologize. You'll get it next time. And I want you on top next time... your rhythm is flawless. You felt so good, the way you moved inside me. Way more coordinated than before. Guess it's the demon part of you.”

“Yeah.” Dipper looked down at Bill's body and shuddered at the sight of the scratch marks, which brought back unpleasant memories. “Sorry about that.”

“Oh, don't apologize. Scratches feel amazing in the moment. This is fine, it's not anything like being cut with a knife, don't feel bad. You know I'm a masochist.”

“Right... well, if you're okay.” Dipper still gently rubbed near one of the scratches, then slowly laid down. He was pushed onto his back, and Bill draped over him, pressing his face against his neck and purring. Dipper chuckled and wrapped his arms around him, wings also stretching around the other, draping around him like a blanket.

“Hey... how did you take your shirt off over these?” Bill questioned.

“The same way I put my shirt on with my wings. Magic.”

Bill snorted. “Seriously. How?”

“Oh, I just make the wings disappear, put on my shirt or whatever, they manifest again through the shirt. Like... the clothes become intangible where everything connects, not ripped at all. Pretty cool, I barely have to think about it. And when I pull the shirt off, the fabric just moves right through the wings and then off. Like they aren't quite solid.”

“Hmm... they're made of an energy, most likely. But they feel so solid.” Bill touched where one of the membranes connected to Dipper's back. He closed his fingers around the skin, tugged, felt the texture. It was pretty firmly connected. “Huh, odd. But neat.”

“I know, right?” Dipper closed his eyes and held the other gently. “I know you've been doing a lot of sleeping. But... do you want to go to sleep now? I think I feel truly tired for the first time since becoming a demon.”

“Hmm... tell you what. Why don't we take a shower, and if you still feel tired, we can go to sleep.”

Dipper groaned but sat up, wings folding behind his back. “Okay. Let's go.”

Bill got up, stumbling a bit as he put his weight on his legs. “Wow, you really did wreck me. I'm impressed. All right, let's go.” He led the way to the bathroom, Dipper laughing as he followed.

It was about time that Bill was the sore one after sex.


	8. Little Wonder

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It has been literally a day since Bill got out of the hospital. So of course, Soos calls Dipper with some very exciting news that leads to the two demons going to- you guessed it- the hospital. Poor, suffering Bill.  
> Word Count: 3464

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another after-PR ficlet, unless otherwise stated, these are in chronological order. Enjoy~

The ringing of his cell phone was the only thing that managed to rouse Dipper out of bed.

He groaned low in his throat as he forced himself up, glancing over as his lover tried to cling more tightly to his waist. He smiled and ran a hand through Bill's hair, before using magic to retrieve the phone.

"Lazy," Bill purred.

"You'd do the same," Dipper replied. He hit the answer button and lifted the phone to his ear. "Hello?"

"Hey dude, what's up?"

"Oh hey Soos! I'm doing great, how are you?"

"Real good, except... Oh man, I need you to come to the hospital real fast, Melody went into labor this morning!"

Dipper was up and pulling clothes on in a flash, making Bill give a displeased growl as he lost his source of warmth. "Oh my God, is she okay?!"

"Well..." Soos was quiet for a moment, and Dipper's sharp hearing caught the sound of pained groaning. "She um... She's handling it well. As far as I can tell."

"Please drive faster!" Melody shouted.

"Honey, that sign clearly states the speed limit is 45 miles per hour and I'm already breaking 50... Ow, don't hit me!"

Dipper shifted the phone onto his shoulder as he zipped up his pants. "Okay, Soos, we'll be there as soon as we can. Have you called Mabel?"

"Yeah, I actually called her first. Sorry."

"No it's fine, she's probably better with this stuff anyway."

"She said she'll try to make a quick visit this weekend, but she's pretty busy at school. So uh, I'll see you dudes soon?"

"Absolutely, I'll call as soon as we get there. Take care of her, Soos."

"Of course, dude. Oh, Melody, there's the hospital, we're almost there! Bye Dipper!"

Dipper started to say bye, but Soos had already hung up. He shoved the phone into his pocket and moved faster, pulling on a shirt, and then a sweater over it. The clothes briefly lodged on his wings before taking on that odd intangibility that allowed them to pass the appendages and sit where they were supposed to on his body.

"Bill, get dressed," Dipper said, rummaging through the dresser for a decent pair of socks.

Bill grumbled and rubbed the heel of his hand into his eye, before leaning over to retrieve his eye patch and tie it over his right eye socket. "What's going on?"

"Melody went into labor, we're going to the hospital." Dipper threw a collared shirt at Bill, along with a coat. He tugged his socks on and picked up a pair of underwear to toss at his partner. He hurried over to the closet to get Bill some pants, not that the other was moving that fast.

"The hospital?" Bill demanded. "I just got out of there!"

Dipper threw a pair of jeans at him. "Sorry, but we need to be there to support them. Hurry up and get dressed." He slipped his shoes on and headed for the bathroom.

He brushed his teeth and groomed his hair while waiting for Bill to get dressed, and spent a few moments just staring at his reflection like he usually did. He still wasn't used to how he looked now. Especially his eyes. Bill said they were beautiful, and he supposed in a way, they were. But they were so different from what he was used to.

As he was flicking his ears up and down, getting used to voluntarily using the strange new muscles, Bill shuffled in yawning.

Dipper handed him his hairbrush, watching him groom himself. Then he picked up Bill's triangle earrings that he hasn't worn in weeks. With a smile at his partner, he grasped his ear and pushed the point through, snapping the stopper on to hold it on. Then he moved around to put on the other earring.

Bill smiled at his reflection. "I've missed those earrings."

"Maybe I should get these pierced," Dipper said, giving his ears a wiggle.

"You should. I bet they'd look good with some metal." Bill put the brush down and moved on to brushing his teeth.

"Want eyeliner today?" Dipper asked, already retrieving the pencil.

Bill considered, then nodded. "It's been weeks. Hell yeah, give me the usual."

Dipper was a bit out of practice, but he's done this enough times. He pressed the tip of the pencil below Bill's left eye, and began outlining it in thick but tasteful black.

Once the eye was outlined, Dipper gave the corners little points, and then drew the rest of the design. Small line going down, then an elegant curve ending in a small curl on top of his cheekbone. He had drawn an Eye of Horus.

Bill blinked when he backed away, grinning. "Thanks! And hey, now you don't have to worry about doing the second one!"

Dipper laughed nervously. "Yeah. Um... sure you don't want me to try and make you a new eye?"

"Nah, I'm okay. Besides, the eye patch looks cool."

"All right, then. Ready to go?"

Bill brushed his hair over his eye patch and nodded. "Ready to go!"

Dipper led the way outside. It was cold and cloudy, but he didn't mind the temperature.

"Wait, I never saw you get the car keys," Bill said.

Dipper smiled mischievously. "Who said anything about driving? Come here." He swept Bill up bridal style in his arms, spinning him around and pressing a kiss to his lips. His wings unfolded, and he leapt up, driving them down as he did.

He was high in the air in seconds, soaring over the woods, heading in the familiar direction toward the hospital.

Bill yelped in surprise at the speed of Dipper's flight, but soon settled, laughing at the burst of adrenaline. He wrapped his arms tight around his partner's neck, looking down at the ground as it blurred below. Then he looked up at Dipper, the happy gleam in those demonic eyes. He leaned up to kiss his nose, then his mouth.

Dipper chuckled, nuzzling him. When they separated, he looked ahead, and Bill leaned to watch the movements of his wings. They were impressive, moving with strong, steady strokes. It was clear that Dipper has spent a lot of time flying.

"I use flying to relax," Dipper explained, having heard that thought. "Any time I had a nightmare, or a panic attack... I'd just fly. As hard and as fast as I could. It helped clear my mind. Heh, one day it took me so long I ended up in California before I stopped. That was fun."

"Wow. Well, if it makes you feel better."

"Yeah. But now that I have you home, I think things will get better."

"I hope so."

They flew on for a while, and Dipper sped up when he saw the hospital at last. He dove down for a fast landing that made Bill shriek in shock, but there was barely any recoil when his feet hit the ground.

Dipper placed him down gently and folded his wings. As they walked toward the doors, the wings faded from sight and his ears shifted to look human. When Dipper got close enough to see a reflection of himself in the glass, he watched as his eyes changed to have white sclera, pupils turning round. With some effort, he got the irises to turn from blue to brown. It was moderately difficult sustaining the magic to make him look human, but it was getting easier.

They went inside, and Dipper went to the front desk to explain who they were looking for. Meanwhile, Bill scowled at his surroundings.

"Yes, the Ramirezs are checked in. They're in room... 231. You can head up but they may not want anyone to enter."

"That's fine, we just want to be there. Come on, Bill." Dipper took Bill's hand as he led the way to the elevator.

"I thought I was done with this place," Bill complained. "I hate it here."

"I know, but just deal with it, okay?"

Bill waited until they were in the elevator and the doors were shut before kicking the wall. "Damn hospital!"

Dipper pressed the 2 button. "Calm down."

Bill grumbled and crossed his arms, glaring at himself in the mirror that was placed on one side of the elevator.

When the doors opened, Dipper glanced around before figuring out where the maternity ward was and heading that way. He encountered Soos standing nervously outside room 231.

"Oh hey, you made it!" he greeted them.

"Hey, what are you doing out here?" Dipper asked. "How is she? Are things okay?"

Soos fiddled with his coat. "Oh it's um..." He paused at a scream from inside, looking pained. "She's just yelling and crying a lot and um... It was hard for me to watch so she told me she doesn't mind if I wait out here. Just give the doctors some space, ya know?"

Dipper shook his head. "Unacceptable. Get in there and hold her hand."

Soos shifted nervously. "I dunno dude, it's really tense in there..."

"If you go in, I'll go in with you. Bill... She doesn't know you as well so could you go to the waiting room?"

Bill shrugged and walked away to find it.

"He looks tense," Soos commented.

"He just checked out of the hospital himself yesterday. He doesn't want to be back."

"Oh, okay. Poor guy. Well, um..." Soos steeled himself before putting his hand on the handle. "Okay. Let's do this."

He opened the door and walked in. Dipper followed behind him, feeling nervous himself at how Melody was clutching the edges of the bed and shouting with pain. He glanced at the doctor between her legs and elected to follow Soos up to the head of the bed.

"Hey, Dipper is here," Soos said as he took her hand with both of his, squeezing it gently. Then he winced as her fingers clenched.

Melody was breathing hard, but she opened her eyes and turned her head enough to look at Dipper, expression brightening a bit. "Oh, Dipper, hi!"

"Hey," he chuckled. "Um... how goes it?"

"Well, besides the um... pushing an entire infant out my body thing, I'm doing great! Aagh..." She flinched at another wave of pain, and her doctor encouraged her.

"The head is crowning, keep pushing, you're doing great!"

"I am never doing this again," Melody huffed. By now she was probably cutting off circulation in Soos's hand. He said nothing about it.

"I have no problem with that," he replied.

Dipper almost wanted to watch the birth itself, this whole process was fascinating and he's always enjoyed medical stuff, but this was Soos's wife and it'd be really awkward if he went to peek between her legs. So he decided to just stay where he was.

"All right, the head is out, keep pushing, almost there!" the doctor called.

Melody closed her eyes tight and tried to focus on breathing, body shaking with the pain and effort, before giving one final cry as she collapsed back.

Soos gave her a worried look, patting her hand as her grip loosened and brushing sweaty hair out of her face.

Dipper tapped Soos's shoulder as he heard crying. The man turned in time to see the newborn being lifted in the doctor's arms and examined.

"It's a girl," he announced before carefully handing the infant off to a nurse, who wrapped her in a soft blanket and brought her over to Melody.

The woman pushed herself up despite the pain, holding out her arms as the baby was gently placed on her bosom.

"Oh my God, look at her," Melody said softly as the infant's cries dropped off into whines, face nuzzling into her mother's chest.

"I'll go get Bill," Dipper said, going to the door. He wanted to give them some privacy for a couple minutes anyway.

He found Bill in this floor's waiting room, sprawled on his back across several chairs as he examined a dinosaur toy. It looked like a Stegosaurus.

Sitting on the floor near him was a little girl that despite being bundled up in pants and a sweater, was wearing a fluffy tutu.

"That's Sir Toothy and he hates the T-Rex clan," she was saying as she played with a t-rex toy.

Nearby was an older girl tapping on a cell phone, who met Dipper's eyes and looked exasperated. "She hasn't learned not to talk to strangers."

Dipper laughed. "Ah, Bill's a jerk but he's decent with kids."

Bill sat up at the sound of Dipper's voice. "Pine Tree! Wanna join the dinosaur war?"

Dipper walked closer. "Amusing yourself, are you?"

"Yep." Bill waved the toy. "These toys are delightful! Not completely accurate in the colors, but close enough! And if you were wondering, these two girls are sisters. They're waiting for their little brother to be born."

"Yeah, I figured that's what they would be doing waiting in a maternity ward. Hey, speaking of birth, Melody has delivered if you wanna come see."

"Sure." Bill stood, handing the toy back to the child. "Sorry, gotta go. Good luck in the war though."

She saluted him. "Yes sir!" Then she smashed the toys together and began banging them into the floor.

Bill laughed as he followed Dipper. "Kids are so entertaining. Such wild thoughts go through their heads, I love it! That one needs to write a book."

They were in no hurry to get back to the room, but the walk still took less than a minute. When they entered, Melody was looking considerably more awake, stroking her daughter’s head, sometimes squeezing the little fist that stuck out of the blankets. Mother and daughter were both wearing little ID tags on their wrists now.

“Wow,” Bill said as he approached the bed. He leaned down to look at the baby. She was no longer crying, and her eyes were open. Big hazel eyes stared at Bill curiously. She didn’t have much hair, but what she did have was wavy and seemed to be a light shade of dirty blonde. It was hard to tell, since it was still slicked down with a bit of fluid that hadn’t been wiped off completely.

“Don’t cry, Bill,” Dipper teased.

He snorted. “I’m not gonna cry. But wow, congratulations. She looks healthy.” He glanced at Melody. “She has her mother’s eyes.”

The woman blushed. “No, they’re shaped way more like Soos’s.”

“So, what are you gonna name her?” Dipper asked.

With little thought, Melody replied, “Carol.”

“And it’s kinda weird, but I want her middle name to be Stan,” Soos said.

Bill fidgeted, and Dipper gave an understanding nod. “I think that’s perfect.” He looked over at Bill, placing a hand on his shoulder. He stopped shaking, but looked guilty.

"It's a wonderful tribute," Bill said.

Once the baby's health was assured, the doctor and nurses headed out to give them some privacy. Soos spent a few minutes holding Carol, before passing her over to Dipper.

"Hi, cutie," he said, giving her a big grin. She just looked at him, as though unsure what to make of him. He looked at Soos. "Do you think it'd scare her if I showed her my real eyes?"

"Might. You could see."

Dipper closed his eyes, and when he opened them, their appearance had returned to normal. The baby blinked, but didn't seem too concerned.

"She's too young to even know fear," Bill said. "She doesn't know that your eyes are weird."

"Well, she'll figure it out pretty quick. Once she sees more of my teeth and ears and everything." Dipper let his ears shift back as well, and tilted them forward, trying to amuse the newborn. One pudgy hand reached up to grab one, tugging on it. He tilted his head, letting her pull his ear. And of course, the tip went right to her mouth.

"Someone's hungry," Dipper laughed as she gummed at his ear, sucking on it.

He pulled free, and that's when she sniffed and started crying.

"Dipper, you piece of shit, let her eat your ear," Bill scolded.

"I think it'll be better if I let Melody do that," Dipper said, handing Carol back to her.

Melody shifted to tug her gown down, pulling the infant to her breast. Carol began suckling almost immediately.

"Boy, she really is hungry," Soos commented.

Dipper rested his arms on the rail of the bed, just watching the newborn. When Bill leaned down next to him and put an arm around him, he glanced at the dream demon. "You ever thought of having one?"

Bill shook his head. "Nah. I don't want a child. Besides, it wouldn't even be mine... it'd belong to my host body. I can't reproduce in any way. It just... wouldn't feel right."

"Well, we wouldn't be able to have one that's both of ours anyway." Dipper leaned into his partner's hold. "We could adopt."

"We could. Or we could combine our magic and create a halfling."

“Is that a thing?”

“Sure. We’re demons, and we’ve got this perfectly good meat suit at our disposal.” Bill gestured to his own body. “Creating a child is perfectly doable. Though… it’ll probably be kinda… evil.”

Dipper shook his head and looked forward. “I think I can do without one. With what we do, raising a child on the side will be kinda hard. And I’m sure we’ll have plenty of opportunity to play with this little one.”

“True. And your sister will probably have a kid at some point… So yeah, we don’t need our own.”

They stayed with Soos and Melody until a nurse returned to do another check-up on the baby, who by now was sleeping soundly. Her hair had dried completely and fluffed up into little curls, and it was obvious that the parents were already in love.

Melody was encouraged to stay for the rest of the day and one night before leaving, but she was recovering fast and said that she’ll probably leave in the afternoon. She promised Dipper that they would call and let him know, so he’ll know where to go tomorrow to see them. Then she and Soos said goodbye, and Dipper and Bill both gave Carol little rubs before leaving.

“They’re gonna be such good parents,” Dipper said as they walked out.

“Absolutely, they have so much love to give,” Bill agreed. Then he spitefully smacked several bottles of medication off a cart they passed and broke into a run toward the elevator.

“Bill, what the hell?” Dipper demanded as he chased him, cringing at the sound of the bottles hitting the floor.

“I hate hospitals!” Bill yelled back. “I am getting out of this place right now!”

Dipper caught up to him and grabbed him around the waist as he was trying to call the elevator, and as the dream demon struggled, Dipper’s wings manifested and stretched out. A burst of magic, and he had teleported them clear outside the building and several hundred feet in the air, making Bill yelp and cling to him tightly with his arms and legs.

Laughing, Dipper hugged him close and flapped his wings, easily catching the air and soaring back toward Gravity Falls.

“You bastard,” Bill laughed weakly, craning his head back to look at the ground so far below them.

“You asshole,” Dipper said fondly, rubbing his nose to Bill’s.

“Just don’t drop me, okay? I’ve grown to like this flesh puppet.”

“I’m not gonna drop you. And even if I did, I’d be able to catch you.”

Bill patted Dipper’s cheek. “Sure you could.” Something dangerous flashed in the other’s eyes, and Bill felt his grip loosen. He shrieked and held him more tightly. “W-wait you don’t need to prove it!”

Dipper just laughed again, even more loudly. “You’re so gullible.”

“Heh. Well, Pine Tree, you sure are confident. I don’t think you’ve ever messed with me like that before.”

“Well, I’m not really afraid of you anymore.”

Bill hummed as he mulled that over. Then he said, “I’m still eons older than you, you should fear me.”

“Nah. I saw the way you were looking at that baby. You’re a cupcake.”

“Shut the fuck up. That stays between us.”

Dipper chuckled and kissed his partner’s lips, smiling as he responded. “Got it. I won’t let anyone else know that the great Bill Cipher secretly has a heart.”

“Good,” Bill replied, satisfied.

“...So no kids for us, huh?”

“Probably not.”

“...Can we get a puppy?”

Bill considered, then shrugged. “I don’t see why not.”

“Can we get _two_ puppies?”

“Okay now you need to calm the fuck down.”

The younger demon grinned as he looked ahead, flying at a more leisurely pace. “I’m gonna get us a puppy.”


	9. Deadly Sin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is just. Dipper and Bill being aggressive demons with each other. I don't have a good summary here.  
> Mostly just unnecessary smut, but there's some talk at the ending that I feel is important, since it gets referenced in a later ficlet.  
> Word Count: 2433  
> This is NSFW, we've got grinding, biting, scratching, blowjobs, and full on sex. Top Bill this time. That's really all I have to say about this.

Dipper loved being a demon. He loved the energy, the confidence, the intelligence, the sharpened senses, the strength... he was so powerful, he could do whatever he wanted and no one was in control of him.

Which made it all the more frustrating and exciting when he was pinned down on his back in bed by the older demon.

His urge to submit to Bill was instinctive; Bill was ancient, far wiser and stronger, and the young demon felt little hesitance to bare his throat to the other in submission. Sure, he topped sometimes, but... tonight, he was Bill's to take.

"I'm letting go tonight," Bill purred, voice low and husky, and Dipper writhed in pleasure at the mere sound of it. His legs were quivering with anticipation. "I want you to let go too."

Dipper chewed on his lower lip. He knew exactly what Bill was referring to, he's had sex as a demon enough times by now. "Would that... be wise?"

"Oh, it'll be fine. Plenty of demons just let their instincts take over while doing this. But when I was with you, I had to keep control so I didn't kill you. But now you're one of us. You can take it."

Dipper groaned low in his throat as the other grinded on him, spreading his legs a little further to show his desire to be receptive. "But can your body take it?"

That beautiful gold eye blinked, glancing down at the rest of his form. Then Bill shrugged. "If it dies, I can always get another. But it should be okay."

Dipper nodded, feeling his lust course through him, boiling in his blood. It made his thoughts hazy, urged his body to jerk and move with Bill's. It was so hard to keep focus, and for once... he didn't fight to do so. He let himself be consumed with sensation, and as his mind slipped away, his body continued to react. His only thoughts were about how good this felt and how much he wanted the other to ravage him.

Bill found it a little more difficult to give in completely, having gone for years keeping control, he considered himself to be one of the more sophisticated demons after all, but he managed. He sighed, relaxed his body, and carefully let his mind slip into the fog of lust.

When he did, it was like something just clicked. His entire perspective shifted. He looked down at Dipper. A demon. Underneath him, unclothed, vulnerable. Wanting him.

Bill lunged forward, mouth crashing against the other's. He kissed him passionately, body grinding into his, and Dipper moaned and thrust his hips back up against him, responding eagerly to that dominating mouth. Their teeth nicked each other's lips, they bit at their partner's tongues, and soon tasted blood.

Bill panted and reached down to grab Dipper's hip, rutting more strongly against him as he lapped up the other's blood. Dipper threw his head back, baring his throat to the other, whining with need. He soon felt teeth against his throat, dull human ones, but they did the job well enough. That just meant Bill had to bite him really hard to break the skin, and the sensation sent pleasure trickling down his spine. The other's pleased hum sent heat straight to his cock, and he squeezed the other with his thighs, trying to encourage him.

Bill chuckled and rubbed his cock between the other's legs teasingly, not entering him, just letting him know how hard he was. Then he began trailing open-mouthed kisses down Dipper's body, enjoying how he squirmed. He started at his jaw, and moved on to his throat, his collarbone, shoulders, chest... When he reached his chest, he grazed his tongue over a nipple, making the other buck and cry out.

Dipper's hands found their way to Bill's back, and his claws hooked in, dragging all the way down to Bill's hips. It felt like he had been whipped with fire, and he moaned, hips jutting more aggressively against Dipper's. More of those scratches and he was arching. But he shook his head and focused, leaning back down to continue teasing the nipple. His tongue swept against it and he suckled, feeling the skin grow firm.

Then he moved on, planting deep kisses against ribs, and over that toned stomach, down to the hips... he had scooted back by now, kneeling between Dipper's legs, so the friction was no longer there. And the younger was clearly getting antsy. Until Bill reached the base of his cock and nuzzled gently against it.

Dipper's breath caught, and one of his hands grabbed Bill by the hair. He tightened his grip and the older demon groaned, tongue sticking out slightly. He was tugged forward, and Bill decided to give him what he wanted, kissing up the other's length. He kissed and licked, tasting the warm flesh and humming with delight, watching the younger squirm and gasp. The claws in his hair were so tight it was bringing tears to his eye, but he liked the pain.

After a few moments of teasing, he took the other's tip into his mouth, grinning when Dipper gasped. He saw his wings flare out from behind his back, which he found oddly amusing. Then he looked down, swallowing the length back further, easily deep throating him.

"Bill..." he panted, making Bill's heart leap. He wasn't so far gone he forgot how to speak, at least. Though speaking was always an incredible chore when one was running on instinct.

The older hummed and let himself respond in thought, not quite using words, but rather, feelings. Dipper would understand.  _ Want me to fuck you? _

The other groaned and nodded, hips rolling into the motions as Bill slowly sucked him off. He used long strokes of the tongue as he bobbed his head, and the other was like putty in his hands.

Bill pulled his mouth away after about a minute, leaning over to kiss and nip at Dipper's thighs. He began leaving bruises on him, all the way back up to his throat as he crawled over him, and the other's arms wrapped around him.

"Fuck me," Dipper sighed into his ear, before dragging his claws down Bill's body again. The older responded by scratching at him with his own nails, though he couldn't do near as much damage.

"Soon," Bill breathed back. He was close to snapping out of the haze, and closed his eye to just relax, letting his desire take over him. When he opened his eye, he hungrily looked over the creature laying under him, legs open and so, so willing.

He almost just went for it, but part of him remembered. He used magic to fetch their bottle of lube, opening it and pouring some out. He wasted no time in loosening the other, pressing his fingers in deep, getting him writhing underneath him, throaty moans making heat grow in Bill's groin. When he was able to move three fingers in and out with little resistance, he pulled free and applied lube to himself.

“Come on, come on," Dipper begged, his hands leaving bruises on Bill's sides, claws ripping the flesh open.

"Tell me you want it."

Dipper whined at the sensation of the other's tip against his entrance, letting the tension out of his muscles. "I want it," he whimpered, with no inhibition.

"Mm..." Bill grasped his erection, giving it some strokes. "Want what?"

"Bill... Elder one, please... I want you to fuck me..."

Bill lifted his brows. Elder one? Gods, he really was gone, wasn't he?

"Heh... very well, young one... I'll fuck you." He wasted no more time, lining himself up and thrusting in. Dipper arched with a cry of pleasure and relief, and Bill didn't stop until he was to the hilt.

He shifted to lean his head down next to Dipper, hearing him whimpering with enjoyment.

"Balls deep inside you," he murmured, and Dipper's face flushed, a louder whine escaping him. "How does it feel?"

"Wonderful, Master..."

Ooh, master now? Bill was definitely gonna have a talk with Dipper later. If he was coherent enough to remember the things they said during this. He kissed the other's cheek and pulled out, the friction sending pleasure coursing through their bodies, and when he felt himself about to slip out, he thrust completely back in. Dipper keened, legs locking around Bill's hips and body lifting into the motion.

Bill soon got into a rhythm, roughly slamming into the other, rocking his body forward and back with the motions, using so much force that if Dipper was still human, it would probably hurt him. But he was responding with wonderfully pleasured moans, his claws running down Bill's back, thighs squeezing as he rolled his hips into every thrust. They fell into sync with each other, and it was ecstasy.

They joined into a passionate kiss, only separating to breathe, before quickly joining back together. Their thrusts became shorter, harder, as their edges came closer. Dipper pressed his erection firmly up against Bill's abdomen as he tried to get some friction for it, so Bill reached between their bodies to grasp it, stroking it in time. Dipper's cry of approval tasted so good against his lips.

Their bodies jerked as climax neared, Bill rolled his hips in deeper, Dipper met him with perfect timing, they sunk their nails and claws desperately into each other, their kissing had devolved into needy bites and scraping of teeth against each other, so close...

Dipper came first, with a loud scream of Bill's name, before slumping back, dazed. Bill finished not too long after, moaning loudly as he filled the other with his seed. For a few moments, he sat there. Then he let go of Dipper's length and raised his hand to his mouth, licking it clean.

Dipper didn't notice, laying back with his eyes closed, panting. He didn't really need to breathe, but after so much exertion, it just felt natural. He gave a long, satisfied noise as the pleasure faded into a warm afterglow, and felt Bill pull out.

The older demon laid down on his partner, resting his chin on his chest and waiting for him to open his eyes.

When Dipper did, he was immediately met with a soft kiss. He chuckled and responded to it, then pulled back. As lust faded, his head cleared, and it felt like he was pulling himself out of deep water. He blinked, then giggled. "Wow. Um... that was something."

"Yeah... you really let go." Bill sat up, gesturing to the bleeding cuts covering him, courtesy of Dipper's claws.

"Oh man. Sorry, are you okay?"

"Just peachy." Bill rubbed his throat, which had its own share of marks from Dipper's teeth. "I had fun."

"So did I, that was... really incredible. Everything felt so good. I loved it." Dipper glanced down at himself, at all the bruises covering him. "So um... Heh, I guess we should clean ourselves up, huh?"

"Probably. Come on." Bill helped him up, and he winced as he got out of bed, but he was able to walk. They went to the bathroom, turning the shower on. As they waited for it to get warm, Bill said, "So, do you remember much of what you said while you were lost in your instincts?"

"Uh... not really."

"Well, I remember, and I want to talk to you about it. One thing you called me was 'elder one.' Which is fine, it's a standard term of respect for an older demon. Especially me, being one of the most ancient. I guess you've really been listening to your natural instincts."

"Yeah, I mean... you guys- well, I guess it would be we, actually... We have a lot of courtesies, and I guess I absorbed a lot of info from Pavonis, because I understand how the hierarchies work. The terms of respect, and all. So calling you an elder one is pretty natural."

"Yes, it would be. Just like how I now call you 'young one'. And I always will, because you'll always be younger. But you called me something else at one point. You called me 'Master.'"

Dipper blinked. "I did? Oh. Wow, um... I've called you that before, haven't I? Because you are."

"I was," Bill corrected. "Your human soul was what was bonded to me. That's gone. You've been free for weeks now."

"Oh. Well, I'm still sworn to you, you're still going to be my master, no matter what."

Bill smiled and pulled him into a hug. "Then let's renew our bond. With you as a demon. We'll be eternally bound, for the rest of time." He took Dipper's hand in one of his, the other hovering above it. He began murmuring a spell, weaving light around their wrists.

Understanding, Dipper lifted his free hand, and recited his half of the binding spell. Golden lines weaved through Bill's blue, forming an elegant chain, which wrapped around their hands and traveled up their arms.

"This is a close binding," Dipper commented.

"It has to be, for immortal beings," Bill replied. When they finished their spells, their arms were encased with shimmering magic, woven so closely that if it they were bound with actual ropes, it would be impossible to tell where the individual strands began and ended.

"Aeternum vinctum," Dipper said gently. The gold magic glowed.

"Aeternum vinctum," Bill agreed. The blue glowed, and all the lines became white, almost blinding in their intensity. Heat and energy coursed through their bodies, and then it faded. The lines disappeared, though their skin still tingled.

Dipper smiled. "Yours?" he offered.

"Mine," Bill replied, bringing his hand up to kiss the back of it. "But I am also yours. We're equals under this binding, and I couldn't ask for more."

"Well, I'll always think of you as my master."

"Heh, I'm flattered."

"So..." Dipper glanced at their joined hands, almost able to see the magic linking them if he really focused. "Are we like... demon married?"

Bill laughed. "That's certainly one way to put it. Yes, Pine Tree. We're demon married."

Dipper smiled and moved closer. "Then I guess that means I should kiss you."

"Go for it." Bill accepted the sweet kiss from the other, and when they separated, he turned to the shower, putting a hand in to test the water. It was perfect, so they got in.

As they cleaned each other off, they kept laughing and trading kisses, so much in love it was ridiculous. They wouldn't have it any other way.


	10. What-If: Pavonis's Victory

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Okay, as of right now I have two "What If" scenarios written. Basically alternate scenes to things that happened in Paying Recompense. The first one I'll be sharing here was written in response to an anon on Tumblr who wanted to know what would have happened if Gideon had never had his change of mind in Chapter 14, and Dipper had been broken by the torment, along with Bill's reaction to losing him.  
> well, this is that answer. I'm sorry. Warning for abuse, suicidal thoughts, and character death.  
> Word Count: 4540  
> There will also be a link provided near the end. For extra feels, open it and listen to the song as you read. I apologize in advance.

Dipper squeezed his eyes shut, but that didn’t stop him from hearing the unnaturally high pitch of Bill’s screaming. He has never, throughout all of the tortures, heard Bill make a sound like _that_. It sounded like the demon’s very soul was being forcibly torn out of him. Which, in a way, it was.

“Keep holding him, Gleeful, I’ve almost got the last of it!”

“Pavo, he’s really fighting-”

“So punch him or something, I need to concentrate!”

Dipper whimpered as he heard the unmistakable impact of knuckles against flesh. Bill’s cries cut off for a moment in a sort of gulp before continuing, more desperate.

He wasn’t yelling for help. Not really. He knew there was no help. He was just wailing his pain, his horror, trying to hold on and not loose consciousness as the last of his magic was painfully sapped from his being. He knew, deep in his soul, that his connection to the Mindscape has been snapped. The collar he wore had blocked him from entering, like a tree falling in front of a bridge. But now the bridge was broken, careening into a depth from which there was no return. Leaving him stranded. Possibly forever.

Tears ran down his face as he struggled, strength fading, he would have slipped down the wall if not for Gideon holding him in place. He had to make it through this. He couldn’t let Dipper see him fall. He was the boy’s source of encouragement. If anything happened to him... no. No, he couldn’t let Dipper suffer any more.

After what felt like eternity, Pavonis backed off. The magic stopped clawing at Bill, and he was released. His vision went nearly black as he collapsed onto his knees, before falling forward, laying on the floor for several long minutes. He kept his intact eye open, if only just barely, watching his vision flicker around the edges.

He has never felt so weak in his life. So... hollow, useless. It felt like his heart had been ripped out. Like he was only a shell. Something... something was gone. And he was too tired to figure out what.

As Bill laid limply on the ground, Dipper slowly opened his eyes again. He focused them on Bill, and assuming the worst, began sobbing weakly.

“Oh, shut up, he’s not dead,” Pavonis snapped, and kicked Bill to prove it.

The blow jostled cracked ribs, and Bill groaned faintly in response.

That didn't make Dipper feel much better. But Bill was alive. He was alive. That was what mattered.

“Was that all of Cipher's energy?” Gideon asked.

Pavonis hummed as he prodded the nearly lifeless form. “Yep. Every drop of it. I stripped away everything that made him a demon, left him stranded in that pathetic form. I wouldn't be surprised if he never used magic again. As for this one.” He turned to Dipper, and he had only to raise his hand before Dipper flinched. He seized the human's jaw roughly, turning his head about and staring into his eyes. “He's got nothing left. All those little reserves of his... clever, but not clever enough. I tapped into all of them. If he wants to use any magic again, it'll take weeks of meditation. He won't be up to it.”

Dipper didn't protest. He was so exhausted, entire body sore, some parts burning with pain constantly, and he could only hang by the collar that held his neck to the wall, arms chained above his head. It was to keep him from trying to intervene, apparently. But they all knew he didn't have the energy for that; it was just more torture. Further breaking down his spirit. Well by now, they were stomping on shards. He had no will left.

“So we're done,” Gideon stated.

“We're done,” Pavonis confirmed.

Gideon sighed, shoulders slumping. It looked like a huge tension had left him, but he also seemed very uncomfortable. “So, did you get all the payment you needed? Can I release them?”

“Yep, I got everything I wanted. Thank you so much for this deal, I had a lot of fun.” Pavonis held his hand out to Gideon.

Was it Dipper's imagination, or did the teen look disgusted? But he took Pavonis's hand, shaking it. There was a crackle of electricity that made him cringe, and the demon shifted back into his star-shaped natural form. When he released Gideon's hand, he turned to the captives, flourishing his hands before shooting bolts of energy at them.

Dipper started to panic, but it only struck his collar and wrist cuffs. Immediately, the leather snapped apart, and he fell forward. He cried out as he landed hard on the floor, feeling a few scabs pull and start bleeding. His hands, which had had nails driven completely through them only a few days prior, seared with agony as he tried to push himself into a sitting position. He gave up and let himself collapse, sobbing.

Bill stirred as he felt his collar fall off. But then his heart dropped. He couldn't hear Dipper's thoughts. He couldn't feel the pulse of magic through the Universe and its many dimensions. He couldn't see the Mindscape. None of his usual awareness was there. It was all just... gone. When was the last time he had been in such a state? He couldn't even remember.

“No... my magic,” he whispered. He looked over at his fingers, stretching them. He could remember spells, could think them and murmur them, but nothing happened. He couldn't even seem to do magic the way humans have to... _nothing_ was working.

“Bill,” Dipper sniffed.

Bill pushed aside his confusion and pushed up onto his hands and knees. It felt like every bone was protesting, but he crawled over to his lover and sank down next to him, cradling him close.

“I'm... I'm dying,” Dipper coughed.

“No, you're not,” Bill said firmly. “They're letting us go. We can go home. Hold on.”

Dipper shivered, giving a single nod.

Pavonis looked them over, then came over to grab each of their heads roughly, fingers digging into their hair and yanking on their scalps. They groaned as the last shreds of energy were torn from them. Then they were dropped, and Pavonis was returning to Gideon.

“My work here is done! If you are ever again in need of my services, you know how to contact me! Farewell!”

“Yeah, bye.” Gideon gave him a small wave, and he disappeared in a bright flash accompanied by thunder. A few moments passed, and Gideon walked over to Dipper and Bill, who were still huddled together. A frown tugged at his lips as he looked them over. They were so vulnerable. Scared. Pathetic. He really should have ended this a long time ago. But... they had learned their lesson, surely. They wouldn't be doing any of their debt collecting for a very long time. “You two deserved this,” he said, more to convince himself than them. “All the pain you ever inflicted, now inflicted onto you. It's only fair.” He turned to go.

He was at the door when a weak voice rasped out behind him. He couldn't make out any words, though.

Brow furrowing, Gideon turned back around to see Bill looking at him with his remaining eye. The usual gold seemed dull. Bronze, maybe. Almost brown. “What?” he snapped at the once-demon.

Bill glanced down at Dipper, and then back up. “How... how are we gonna get back to town in this condition? We're going to die, you fucker.”

Gideon sighed heavily and considered just leaving. Then he said, “I take the same path to and from this building. It left a visible trail through the woods. There's enough light that you can follow that out. But I really don't care about what happens to you.” He left.

Bill swore and looked at his partner. “Okay. Pine Tree, you're gonna have to get up.”

The mere idea of having to put weight on his legs was agony. Dipper was all too aware of the splitting pain all down his lower body from blades and hot metal and too many other things to name. Upper body, lower body, limbs... everything. He looked like a walking massacre. How he even had enough blood left to live was beyond him.

Hearing Dipper's unwilling groan, Bill tried to encourage him. “We have to get back to town. Pine Tree, please. Your sister is there, remember? You have to see Mabel again. She's waiting for you.”

“Mabel...” That perked Dipper up a bit. “I don't want Mabel to find me dead.”

“Exactly. That would be terrible. Now come on, up you go...” Bill tried to pull Dipper to his feet. But the human was dead weight. He just couldn't seem to get his legs to work. The effort of standing him up was too much for Bill, who gave up and sat once more. “Okay. We can... we can rest here. Get our energy back, then... then leave. We'll be okay.” He heard Gideon's bike outside, but the sound of the engine soon faded away into the woods.

“What's death like?” Dipper asked quietly.

“I don't know. I've never died. Not properly, anyway.”

“Is there pain in death? I bet dying makes pain go away. I... would like that so much.”

“Pine Tree, listen. Stay awake. I know it hurts, but stay awake.”

Dipper was looking down at his own destroyed body. “There's no way doctors will ever be able to fix all this.”

“Yes, they'll be able to. Dipper, please...”

“I don't want to live like this.”

Bill laid down in front of him, drawing him close, burying Dipper's face against his chest. “Think about this. Think about us laying together. Those long talks we have. Cuddling. Kissing. Making love. We're gonna return to all that. But we can't do that if one of us is dead.” He heard sniffling against his skin, but he had to make sure the point got through. “You are my whole world, Dipper. I can't lose you. Please, be strong for me. As soon as we can, we'll head back home. We'll go to the hospital and everything will be okay.”

“Okay...”

Bill sat with him for a while, shaking him gently every time he seemed about to drift off. It seemed to annoy Dipper, but it was for the best. He couldn't have him falling asleep in this condition.

Then Bill grew too restless and wiggled away. He took in a breath and forced himself to his feet. His crippled legs, which had healed incorrectly from their break, shook unsteadily. When he took steps, pain raced up his entire form. He gritted his teeth and kept walking, going around the room as he got used to it. Then he said, “Your turn,” to Dipper.

The boy only whined.

“We don't have any vehicles, we're gonna have to walk back,” Bill said regretfully.

“Teleportation,” Dipper replied. He sounded delirious.

“We can't do that, we have none of our magic.”

“I'm sure we do, we... I can't remember how to do it.” Dipper sighed, staring down at the floor. “Sleep... I can remember how to sleep.”

Bill came over to him, leaning down. “You're going to hate me but you'll thank me later.” He slid his arms under Dipper's armpits and hauled him up completely onto his feet.

Dipper swayed, alarm crossing his features along with pain from torn muscles and damaged bones being forced to support him. His legs quivered all the way down, and his stomach turned a few somersaults. All the while, his insides gnawed with hunger, his mouth unbearably dry.

“Bill,” he whined, pushing weakly but angrily at the other. “Fuck you.”

“I'm sorry but you need to MOVE.” Bill pulled him, step by step, toward the door. His eye scanned the room, landing on a crumpled pile of clothing shoved in a corner. His face lit up. “Okay, Pine Tree, you're doing great. But I'm gonna need you to do something. Just stand here. Okay? Don't try to walk, don't sit down, just stand here. I'm gonna be right back.”

When he let go of Dipper, he half-expected him to just crumple. But no, he stood there, eyes staring blankly off into nothing. Bill gave him a reassuring pat before going to gather up the clothing. He pulled his sweater over himself and brought Dipper's to him. The boy didn't seem to have the strength to put it on, so Bill had to put it on him.

If it made Dipper feel better, he didn't really show it. He wasn't speaking, just letting Bill lead him outside.

“You're just in shock,” Bill said to him. “You'll feel better once you get treated. Just keep walking. Come on.”

It took some searching, but they found the path that seemed to leave the woods. Bill grabbed two sticks that were long enough for them to lean on, passing one to Dipper and keeping the other for himself.

Dipper spoke at last, shivering a bit. “It's even colder outside.”

“I'm sorry. If I could teleport us I would, but...” Bill sighed helplessly. “I can't. I can't do anything. I can't even get out of this body, it's like... I've been glued into it. But there's gotta be a way. I'll figure it out. There's no way Pavonis took my demonhood. Just... there's no way. Pine Tree, come on, keep walking.”

“We're never going to make it back, just look at us,” Dipper muttered. Each step was causing him pain, and he could feel blood trickling down his body as the motions tugged scabs open.

“Oh I don't know, humans are very hardy creatures. You aren't the biggest, or the strongest, but you're very hard to kill. Mind over matter, if you want to keep moving, you are gonna keep moving.”

Dipper gripped his walking stick a little more tightly as he forced himself to keep going. He supposed he should feel happy about being let go, but really, he felt nothing but despair. He has never felt pain like this. He wouldn't be surprised if he just dropped dead. And with this pace, they would likely never make it home. Something in the forest will probably eat them. Neither had any ability to defend themselves.

He regretted everything bad that he ever did to his victims. Everything that Pavonis and Gideon had forced him to feel. If, by some miracle, he made it through this alive, he was never hurting anyone again. Ever.

“We're going to hunt down Gideon once we're better,” Bill was saying. “We'll teach him a lesson. We'll make him sorry he ever summoned that rainbow bastard and-”

“I'm not going to teach Gideon a lesson,” Dipper said quietly. “I don't want to look at him. Never again. And I'm sorry, but I don't think I can keep my end of our deal.”

Bill stared at him. “Your end... Pine Tree, what are you saying?”

“I'm not going to help you kill people anymore. After all this, I just... I just can't. I don't think I can stand the idea of doing any of that to anyone, now that I know what it's like. I'm sorry. Kill me if you want, just please spare Mabel. But you can take me without a fight. I'm sure I've done enough for you to warrant sparing her.”

Bill couldn't believe what he was hearing. “Pine Tree, are you seriously asking me to kill you? I'm not going to do that.”

“Even if I refuse to help you torture people anymore?”

“Even if you refuse. You can still help me. You can help me with intimidation, or convincing. I understand that you won't be up to it for a long time. But I'm willing to work with it. Because I love you.”

A few tears slipped down Dipper's face, and he sobbed as overwhelming emotion suddenly hit him. “Bill, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I... I love you too, I just... I don't think I can go on living, everything hurts so much, I'd rather die and not have to feel any of it than walk another step like this.”

“Dipper, don't say that! I know it hurts now, but you will get through it! Keep going, please!”

Dipper slowly let go of the stick he was holding, letting it drop. He only took a couple more steps before he dropped too. Bill's blood ran cold as he realized just how much the other has been bleeding out during the walk. Not that he was doing much better himself, but Dipper was smaller.

Bill hurriedly knelt down next to him, trying to pull him up. “No, keep going, you have to keep going!”

“Just let me lay here. It hurts less.”

“Pine Tree, please!” Bill gave his face a few rough slaps, but not even that was enough to encourage Dipper to move. He just laid there, eyes distant. Fear clenched in Bill's chest, and he stood up, turning around to survey the woods. “Help!” he screamed. “Someone! Please!”

“There's no one out here.” Dipper's voice was so blank that Bill wondered whether he was even truly feeling pain at all anymore.

“I have to do something, you're dying. You're dying and I can't even use my magic to keep you alive.” Bill felt adrenaline pump into him, but even that was barely enough to allow him to lift Dipper. He could only take a few steps with him before the pain threatened to bring him to his knees. He sobbed with frustration and buried his face against the human's hair. “Dipper, you have to walk. I can't hold you. Come on, you'll be okay, just... please, keep walking. Go as slow as you need to, but keep moving.”

“I can't feel my legs.”

“Don't give me that, you're fine, it's all in your head. I know it's cold and we're both really numb, just... move your legs, damn it! You are not dying on me, Dipper Pines! I refuse to let you give up! Not after everything you've done, everything you have to live for!” Bill decided he would have to wound him a little. A necessary act. “What would Mabel think if you just took the cowardly way out?”

That incensed Dipper. “The cowardly way?” His voice was still low, but some life came back to him, muscles pushing against Bill's slightly. “Me not wanting to feel like this anymore is cowardly? Fuck you. Maybe you don't feel pain, high and mighty Bill Cipher, but I do! And I don't want to feel it anymore!”

“And you won't feel it once you get to a hospital! Dipper come on, walk, your sister is waiting for you! You can't die before seeing Mabel, how would she live with herself? She wouldn't be able to stand it.”

“I... I want to see her again, but... if I die, then she'll know I went down fighting.”

“Except you're not fighting, you're giving up. You keep moving those legs, Dipper Pines, and don't you dare stop. I don't know where this path leads to, but we'll find people eventually. And as soon as we do, they can help us. You can pass out the minute we're safely aboard an ambulance or something. Where they'll have the necessary equipment to keep you alive.”

“I feel sick. Really sick and tired and.. starving... please, make it end.” Dipper was beginning to sway, and Bill's heart dropped as he saw that he was still bleeding. It wasn't much, but enough.

“It will end soon,” Bill lied, just focusing on helping him walk.

But it was only a few minutes before Dipper's legs gave out. It didn't seem to be by his choice this time. They just failed to work. The human grunted as he hit the ground, exhaling into the icy grass.

“The ground feels nice,” he murmured, eyes slipping shut. “Just... let me lay here.”

Bill couldn't pull him up. He didn't have the strength. He stood, chewing on his lip as he tried to decide what to do. He could keep going. He had the will to leave. And without Dipper, he could move faster. Maybe, if Dipper's condition was stable enough, he could get out of the woods and find help. But... that would require leaving him alone.

Bill sank onto his knees next to him, running his fingers through his hair. “Love?”

Dipper didn't open his eyes, but he made a small groan.

“Listen, if I leave to find help, will you be okay? It may take a while, but I promise I'll come back. You can just lay here and relax. Don't let yourself fall asleep, but... you can just rest while I go on ahead. Will that be okay?”

“I won't live much longer than a few more minutes,” Dipper replied. There was no pain in his voice. He sounded more sure than he has in a while.

“Don't talk like that.”

“It's true. I'm dying.”

“People are dying from the moment they're born.”

“No, I'm actually dying. I can't feel anything anymore. I'm not stupid, I know how much I've been bleeding... I'm dizzy. You look all blurry. I won't survive long enough for you to get help. And there's no changing that, unless you can patch up every single one of my wounds right now.”

Bill knew he would be unable to do that. “All of them? I... I don't know... Pine Tree, whatever's bleeding, just put pressure on it. Stop the blood. You'll be okay.”

“Can't reach. Too tired.”

Bill began taking a few steps away, stood indecisively, and came back to Dipper. He could see the defeat on his partner's face, and it broke his heart. He tried to call out for help using his thoughts, but he just couldn't project them like he used to. He couldn't even hear Dipper's thoughts, or speak to him telepathically.

“I... I don't think you're going to die,” Bill said softly, resting Dipper's head in his lap and stroking his hair. “But... I'm gonna sit here with you. Until you're ready to get up.”

Dipper didn't really speak, just closing his eyes and sighing. Bill watched the rise and fall of his chest, and slipped a hand down Dipper's neck just to monitor his pulse. It was slow. Far too slow.

Tears welled up in Bill's eye. He really was losing the human. He leaned over him, wrapping his arms tightly around him. “Pine Tree, please try to hold on... maybe someone will find us. You've been through so much, you can't die now. Open your eyes, come on.”

One brown eye flickered open, scanning Bill's face. There was no tension in Dipper's expression now.

“Bill... I'm sorry I'm not strong enough.”

“Dipper...” Bill pressed a kiss to his forehead. “You are so incredibly strong. I'm proud of everything you've done, how well you held on throughout everything they did to us. You're just... your body can only take so much, though. And... I guess they pushed it too hard. I don't think I could go much further either. Oh, love... please, if there's anything I could do to help you...”

Dipper swallowed, licking his dry lips. His other eye opened slightly. “Could you sing to me?”

Chest aching, Bill sat up, clearing his throat. “Sing what?”

“I don't care... anything. Some demonic Latin thing. A pop song that's a few years out of date. I don't care, just something. Please?”

Bill nodded, resting his hands gently in Dipper's hair as he combed through the vast list of songs he knew. He licked his own lips; his voice was going to sound awful. But this was for Dipper. “Is Taylor Swift okay?”

“That's fine,” Dipper said softly, beginning to stare up at the trees, and past them to the sky above. “Something simple, you know?” The sky was turning colors, the Sun just barely starting to set, throwing a beautiful array of colors through the cloudy atmosphere.

<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vn8bJLnFzms>

“I remember tears streaming down your face when I said I'll never let you go,” Bill started. He could see tears glistening in his human's eyes even now, and he knew he was crying. “When all those shadows almost killed your light...” He briefly slid his hands down Dipper's arms, trying to reassure him. “I remember you said, 'Don't leave me here alone.' But all that's dead and gone and past, tonight.” His throat threatened to lock up. “Just close your eyes, the Sun is going down.”

Dipper broke his gaze away from the sunset to look up at Bill, and closed his eyes, sniffing. He curled his arms in, shaking.

Bill continued to pet him, and he slowly stopped shivering. “You'll be all right. No one can hurt you now. Come morning light, you and I'll be safe and sound.”

“I wish that were true,” Dipper whispered.

“It could be,” Bill said quietly, leaning down once more. His fingers found Dipper's cheeks, stroking them tenderly. The skin felt so cool. He swallowed and forced himself to keep singing. “Don't you dare look out your window, darling everything's on fire. The war outside our door keeps raging on.” His voice got more steady as he continued, getting used to singing with dryness in his throat. He tried to be as sweet as possible for the next lines. “Hold on to this lullaby. Even when the music's gone.” He could see that Dipper was barely breathing now. “Gone...”

Dipper coughed a bit, and began to sing along. His voice was weak, but he got through a verse of the chorus. “Just close your eyes, the S-sun is going down. You'll be all right, no one can hurt you now. Come morning light, you and I'll be safe and sound.”

Bill's chest constricted as Dipper's voice dropped off after that, and he had to continue alone. He hummed and vocalized for a bit, and then softly sang the chorus again. He closed his eye so he didn't have to see the way Dipper's chest was almost not moving anymore. “Just close your eyes...” He was starting to choke up now, but he tried not to let Dipper hear it. “You'll be all right... come morning light, you and I'll be safe... and sound.” He hummed some more, and though he wasn't sure if Dipper could even hear him anymore, he sang the chorus once more, the finishing lines the gentlest he's ever done. “You and I'll be safe and sound...” He pressed a kiss to Dipper's cheek, and waited for a moment. He felt no air on his skin.

Opening his eye and looking down, he saw that the human's chest was still. His hand slipped to Dipper's throat, pressing to the jugular. There was no pulse.

“Dipper,” he whispered, tears streaming down his face. He held the boy close, shoulders shaking as he began to sob. “I'm so sorry... please come back.”

But Dipper never did open his eyes again, and by the time they were eventually found by a search party, Bill was curled up at his lover's side, holding him protectively, his eye never to open again either.


	11. What-If: Dipper and Bill's Revenge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The second what-if scenario I wrote. Where instead of immediately trying to escape in Chapter 14, Dipper and Bill instead decided to make a stand right there, capture Pavonis, and punish him for what he did to them. Mostly self-indulgence, a treat for myself and for several fans who wanted to see him be tormented far more than he was originally. This is for y'all. Stay sadistic, my friends.  
> Word Count: 6683  
> This is obviously expected of this series, but this is of course filled with graphic abuse/torture, so as always, be careful. It was going to have even more torment but it was getting really long so yeah. This is it.

When Gideon finished healing the wounds in Dipper's hands and feet, Bill stumbled over to them, falling onto his knees with a grunt.

"Fix my legs," he demanded of Gideon. "Now."

"I think you could ask more politely than that."

Bill gritted his teeth. "Please."

Gideon leaned down to repair them.

"Pavonis will be coming back in any moment," Bill said, pushing himself up. "What should we do?"

Dipper looked at Gideon, considering just demanding the keys to his motorcycle so they could escape. Then he decided, "Make him regret ever laying a hand on us."

Gideon quickly moved in front of him. "That will solve nothing! Besides, neither of you are in any condition to fight-"

Dipper cut him off. "Don't question us." He moved over to Bill, taking his hand. "Think you have enough strength to make one of those magic suppressing collars?"

Bill grinned. "I should be able to do that, even in this state. But could you help me do it?"

"Sure." Dipper opened his mind further to his partner, sighing as he felt their magic flow together. This was so wonderful, so familiar. He has missed this.

Together, they fashioned a collar much like the ones they had worn, except it was solid iron. They carved in the necessary runes and imbibed it with magic, taking from Gideon's bracelet to preserve their strength.

Once it was done, they took a few moments to rest, as Gideon watched Pavonis through the window.

"He looks bored, he'll probably be coming back in soon," he alerted them. It was only a few seconds later when he turned around quickly. "He's coming back!"

"Pentagram, stand right there!" Bill ordered, pointing into a spot in the middle of the room. "Act nonchalant. Pine Tree, press yourself against the wall right next to the door! I'll stand on the other side and hit him when he comes in, and then put the collar on!"

"Sounds good!" Dipper took his place, and Bill grabbed the collar before standing on the other side of the door.

They felt Pavonis's approach like a static charge down their spines. Then he was entering the room and beginning to address Gideon. "Gideon, where-"

And that was when Bill slammed the iron cuff down solidly on the back of Pavonis's head.

The psychic shouted out in pain and began to spin around, only for Bill to tackle him and slam him down. They tussled, but Pavonis was disoriented by the sudden attack, and the collar was snapped on successfully.

The psychic went limp for a moment, eyelids drooping. Then he struggled, grabbing the collar with both hands, only for the metal to glow red hot and burn him.

He swore and pushed himself up on his arms. "What is this?" he demanded.

"You feel that helplessness?" Bill asked. "That's how you forced me to feel. Not so nice, is it?"

Pavonis tried again to pull the collar off, and again it burned his fingers. He growled and pulled the reddened digits away. "Gideon, take them out and free me."

Gideon just stood there looking at him, arms crossed.

"Gideon!"

"No. I'm letting them go. And they decided they want to punish you. I'm not gonna stop them."

Pavonis snarled. "Once I'm done with them, I'm gonna flay you and wear your hide as a coat." He launched himself onto his feet and swept kicked Bill's legs out from under him. Even without his magic, he was fast.

And unlike Dipper and Bill, he was completely healthy. His foot was slamming into Bill's chest before the dream demon even knew what hit him, and he landed hard on the floor with a pained shout.

Dipper leaped onto Pavonis's back, getting him into a headlock. The psychic reached back to grab at his sides, clawing up his arms, but was unable to channel any magic into him. Dipper tried to force him onto his knees, but Pavonis resisted. Then there was movement and they were falling.

Dipper cried out in pain as his back and head slammed into the wooden floor, all of the other's weight on top of him.

He was disoriented, pain flaring in his abused body, and Pavonis took advantage of this to roll over and grab Dipper's wrists, pinning him.

The boy panicked, remembering all of the other times he's been held on his back, the tortures that took place, and he screamed as he struggled.

"Pine Tree, he can't do any of that to you anymore!" Bill shouted. "It's okay!"

Dipper quieted down, but his body continued to thrash as he tried to free himself. Pavonis was sitting on his legs, and he was just strong enough that Dipper couldn't throw him off.

Bill came up behind Pavonis and grabbed him, hauling him backward and wrapping his arms around his neck as he tried to choke him, but the collar got in the way of that.

Still, it gave Dipper enough time to push himself up and grab Pavonis's wrists, pulling them behind his back and binding them together with his magic, solidifying it into small but unbreakable chains.

The psychic bared his sharp teeth and lunged forward, headbutting Dipper in the face. It broke his nose, and he reeled back, blood running down his face.

Bill drove his foot into the back of Pavonis's knee, at the same time letting go of his neck, causing him to collapse forward.

Dipper was ready, bringing his foot down hard on the back of his head and smashing his face into the floor. There was a crunch, and when Dipper lifted his foot, Pavonis looked up and spit out blood. His nose was bleeding from both nostrils.

"Ow, I bit my fucking tongue," he complained.

"Aw, how terrible," Dipper said. "How about we break your teeth out so you won't do that again?"

Bill lifted Pavonis to his feet, holding him tightly. Dipper drew his fist back and punched him as hard as he could in the face. It wasn't the best or strongest he's ever thrown; he was too weak for that. But it was incredibly satisfying when his knuckles crashed into Pavonis's mouth and knocked out several chunks of tooth. The psychic cried out before quickly shutting his mouth, glaring at the human.

"You have no idea how long I've wanted to do that," Dipper sighed, massaging his hand. He watched Pavonis swear and spit blood out for a few moments, then looked up at Bill. He said nothing, but when Bill's eye met his, an entire conversation passed between them.

Bill shoved Pavonis onto his knees, placing his hands on his shoulders to keep him down. "Gideon, you can stay or leave, but this is about to get gruesome," Dipper said, stretching his arms and rolling his neck.

Gideon looked at them uncomfortably and took a few steps back. "I uh... think I'm gonna leave."

"Okay. We'll deal with you later."

That definitely frightened the boy. He fled, and they soon heard his motorcycle speeding away.

"All right, now then." Dipper cracked his knuckles. "Pavonis. I remember what you did when you first captured us. Carved a likeness of yourself into our skin. I think I know what I want to do to you first. Bill, search his pockets."

Pavonis huffed and blew his hair out of his face as Bill knelt down and began searching his clothes for weapons. He wasn't trying to fight anymore. "What are you hoping to accomplish with this? We're stuck in a cycle. You both tortured people, I did the same to you to teach you how it feels. Now you're going to torture me? You've obviously learned nothing, you're both disgusting- Watch it, Cipher!"

Bill rolled his eye as he extracted a knife from the other's pocket, none too gently.

"No more disgusting than you." Dipper took the knife from Bill, who continued searching pockets. He knelt in front of Pavonis, looking at him closely. He met those deceptively pretty seafoam green eyes that hid a twisted, vengeful soul. "I almost feel bad for you. I can only imagine what you've been through as a demon. What has happened to you to make you like this. There's doing a job, and then there's enjoying it. You loved torturing us. It was a game to you."

"It's a game to you and Bill as well," Pavonis interrupted. "You enjoy it."

"That... I mean, those people deserve it."

"By the same logic, so do you."

Dipper couldn't argue with him. He was right. And judging by that smirk, the demon knew he was making the human second guess things.

But then Dipper decided, "Well, there's no right or wrong here anymore. I've hurt people. Then you hurt me. So... I'm just gonna get revenge." He shrugged and flipped the knife around, before grabbing the other's hair and forcing it up and away from his forehead. With no hesitation, he drove the point of the blade into the pale flesh.

Pavonis made no sound. His breath hitched, but he stared straight ahead, eyes full of hate. He only watched as Dipper began cutting.

After only two lines, the psychic sighed. "Of course it would be a triangle. Of course." His voice sounded strained, but he was doing a good job of keeping the pain out of it.

"And a very handsome one, I bet," Bill laughed.

Dipper grinned. "Oh, of course." He carved the final line, wiped some blood away, and drew an oval within the triangle. Satisfied, he stood, licking the blood from the blade.

Pavonis panted, blinking blood out of his eyes and looking up. "That all you got?"

"I'm just getting started." Dipper savored the taste of the dark red blood. It was a sickly sweet flavor, that some might find distasteful, but it was simply buzzing with magic and he loved it. He licked every drop off and used the blade to collect more off the wound.

"Pine Tree, you are simply bloodthirsty," Bill said, nodding with approval. "In more ways than one."

"Demon blood, Bill," Dipper reminded him. Some of it trickled down the corner of his mouth before he hastily licked it off. "It's full of magic."

Bill's eye widened with realization. "Oh! You're drinking his for... Oh!"

"Power, exactly." Dipper closed his eyes, sighing softly. "I have to recover my strength somehow."

"Nature magic. Draw from your surroundings."

"Oh yeah. I can do that too." Dipper lifted his arms, and Bill felt magic flow through the room, being drawn from the outside trees and grass and into the human's body. His stance straightened, wounds healing over.

Bill smiled, and pressed his palm over Pavonis's forehead, making the other hiss at the contact. He drew magic from the other demon's blood, as much as he could before the wound stopped bleeding. When he let go, Pavonis slumped forward, feeling faint.

"Not so great being unable to access your magic, huh?" Bill sneered. "You stole so much of mine. I'm just taking it back."

"Do your worst," Pavonis spat.

“Gladly.”

Dipper seized the gem that the psychic wore over the clasp for his cape, swiftly unhooking the chain and removing the article. With a cheeky grin, he swung it around his body and fastened it around his own neck.

"This is nice," Dipper said, enjoying the warmth and softness. "Is it silk?"

Pavonis said nothing.

Using his magic, Dipper summoned the crowbar that was usually stored in a small shed outside the Mystery Shack with other random tools. The item appeared in his hand, and he shouted, "Answer me when I talk to you!" He swung the bar. It broke Pavonis's collarbone with a satisfying crack, and the other grunted and jerked back. But to his credit, he didn't yell.

"It is silk, okay?! Fucker."

Dipper tutted. "You're really gonna speak to me like that while I'm holding this? Stupid bastard."

That seemed to touch a nerve. "I'M SMARTER THAN YOU, SHITHEAD."

Dipper brought the heavy iron across the top of Pavonis's arm, and there was another crack as it fractured his humerus.

"You died young," Bill said, keeping his bound wrists pinned down. "You were only sixteen. I question whether you ever matured past that stage. You sound like a whiny child who lost the science fair."

Dipper snorted with amusement. "He kinda does."

Seething, Pavonis tried to push himself onto his feet. As soon as he straightened up, Dipper blew out his left kneecap with the crowbar. Pavonis yelled in pain and alarm as the entire leg buckled. Dipper swiftly took out the other knee, sending the other collapsing to the floor.

Dipper and Bill stood back as they watched the demon struggle to sit up, but he was unable to put any weight on his knees without gasping in agony at the slivers of pain shooting up his legs. Nor could he push himself up with his hands. He finally managed to roll onto his back and sit up, hair falling into his face. His eyes were full of fury.

"If I wasn't trapped in this form, I would be electrocuting you until your organs liquidized and poured out of every orifice," he snarled.

Dipper snorted and said with exaggerated condescension, "That's not how electricity works, ya moron. My organs would catch fire and burn, may even spontaneously combust, but they wouldn't melt."

"Don't be too hard on him," Bill said. "Back in his day, the only electricity they saw was in lightning, and they thought it meant God was angry."

Dipper laughed, and Pavonis grimaced. "Ignorant fools," he ground out through clenched teeth. "I didn't know for sure what it was either back then, but at least I didn't have the arrogance to just assume 'God did it.' Ugh."

"That's still a problem today, unfortunately," Dipper sighed. He gave his weapon a few testing swings, and Pavonis flinched. "Scared already? Sucks for you. You're in for a long day before we kill you."

Was it imagination, or did Dipper see a shiver go down the other's spine? With a shrug, he held the crowbar out to Bill, who took it and gave him the knife instead.

Humming, Dipper leaned down and began unbuttoning the psychic's shirt, opening it and pulling it off. It got caught at his hands, which Dipper unbound just long enough to wrench the shirt off completely. Pavonis hissed in protest as his broken arm was yanked. Before he could move, the bindings were returned.

"Here, use this for warmth." Dipper tossed it to Bill.

Bill gratefully pulled the clothing on, grinning. "Ooh, this is nice! Fine taste, Pavo."

Pavonis grumbled and stared sullenly at Dipper. "Now what?"

"Now the fun starts." Dipper moved up to him and grabbed his injured arm, using the knife to cut off a strip of skin. As the flesh fell to the ground, he made a nick to grasp more, harshly yanking it off the bone with his fingers.

Pavonis twisted and howled before forcing his mouth shut, though involuntary whimpers escaped him. When the second strip of skin was messily snapped free, he felt faint.

"Don't pass out on us so soon, we're just getting started," Bill said. He put the crowbar down, using some simple magic to retrieve a glass bottle. It probably came from a store. He didn't care. He twisted the cap off and considered just pouring out the liquid inside, but it was a drink and he was thirsty... He decided to take a swig before passing it to Dipper.

The human flayed a sizable chunk off Pavonis before accepting the bottle, taking a long drink. It was a cola, and God did it taste delicious on his parched tongue.

Once Bill got it back, he drank just a little more before breaking the bottle open on the floor. He kept throwing pieces down until he had several long slivers, which he gathered carefully in a palm.

Dipper sank the knife into Pavonis's exposed bicep, twisting it in as he watched Bill curiously.

"Fuck!" Pavonis screamed, trying to jerk away, but the knife was deep and he only managed to rip a deeper hole. Blood cascaded out, running down his arm and dripping to the floor.

Dipper grabbed his arm roughly with his other hand, absorbing the other's magic directly, the dark red liquid turning into mist as it sank into him. He almost moaned at the raw energy that filled him.

"Careful," Bill said. "It's not his soul but too much demon blood can drive a human insane with power."

"I'll be fine," Dipper assured him. "Now what are you doing?"

Bill grasped one of Pavonis's stretched out legs. The psychic tried to kick him despite the shattered bones that were currently his kneecaps. So Bill didn't hesitate to break his femur with the crowbar.

Tears sprung to Pavonis's eyes as he jolted, a yell that was more outraged than pained escaping him. The tears didn't spill over, and he sniffed, setting his expression into the most neutral one he could manage. But the anguish still showed in the lines under his eyes.

"Geeze, such a low pain tolerance," Bill sighed, clicking his tongue in disapproval.

"You broke my fucking leg, of course I'm gonna scream! I hate both of you!"

"Feeling's mutual," Dipper muttered.

Bill set the bar aside and said to Dipper, "I'll show you what I'm doing. Could you cut a large hole into one of his pant legs over the thigh area? Either one is fine."

Dipper considered, pulling on the broken leg a few times before deciding that he wanted to see the other one injured, and using his knife to expose that one instead.

He tried to glean from Bill's thoughts what he was planning, but the demon kept it carefully hidden. But Dipper was pretty sure he was figuring it out.

His suspicions were confirmed when Bill chose a piece of glass and began pushing it into Pavonis's thigh. The psychic's back went rigid, and he tried to kick with that leg. Dipper seized his ankle and pinned it down.

Unable to use his arms or legs, Pavonis settled for the next best thing. He lunged forward and slammed his skull against Bill's.

Bill swore and reeled back, clutching his head. Pavonis grinned as he straightened his torso up again, before twisting and managing to sink his broken teeth into Bill's arm. He bit hard, as if trying to chew through a steak, and the dream demon shouted as he tried to shake him off.

Panicking, Dipper did the first thing he could think of and buried the knife into Pavonis's side. It worked. As the other's jaw loosened in a cry, Bill managed to yank free. Once he did, he shoved Pavonis flat onto his back, harshly drawing his arms over his head, knowing it must be putting an awful strain on his shoulders. And especially on his broken humerus.

He wasn't able to pull his arms completely up; the shoulders simply didn't rotate that far. So Bill broke them.

Tears finally streamed down Pavonis's face, but he refused to cry. He just breathed deeply, staring into space.

Once Bill had his arms up, he used magic to stick his wrists to the floor. There would be no moving them.

"I'll kill you both," Pavonis said, voice low but furious. His tone sharp as a razor blade. "I will figure out a way to escape, and I will kill you. You thought the torture was bad before? Just wait. I'll make you wish we could return to simple things like electrocution and burning holes through you."

"We appreciate the thought, but you're not escaping," Dipper said. "Our victims never escape if we don't want them to."

Bill snickered as he resumed shoving glass into Pavonis's leg. He pushed the shards in deep, wiggling them, watching blood pool out but not quite putting them in all the way. As he was putting in the last pieces and enjoying the psychic's assorted swearing, Dipper got an idea.

"How about we use..." Dipper's hand grasped at air, and then a tool materialized as he summoned it. He grabbed the handle before it could fall.

Seeing the human holding a hammer, Bill's heart swelled with love and pride. "Oh Pine Tree, you genius! I love you so much. Go on, do the honors."

Dipper moved closer, twirling the hammer before gripping it tightly and bringing the head down right onto a piece of glass.

There was a hair-raising screech from Pavonis that made both Dipper and Bill shudder with enjoyment.

"That's my favorite part," Dipper said.

"Mine too. When you finally get them to scream." Bill cradled Pavonis's head, only to lift it and force the younger demon to look at his own lacerated leg.

"You... you two are cruel," he whispered.

"No crueler than you. And to think, if you had refused to accept Gideon's deal, this wouldn't be happening." Dipper drove more glass in, watching the top portions shatter into powder while the rest buried into Pavonis's leg, so deep it would take surgical tools to pick it out.

"I'm a demon, it's what we do! You two just... just managed to escape!" Pavonis swallowed, chest heaving. Was he panicking? His eyes were wide, but his pupils were shrunk. "I always knew there was a chance of this happening. There's always this chance when it comes to deals, you should know that, Cipher."

"Perfectly well," Bill said. "That's why I don't make it a habit to trust humans. Dipper is a special case. He is not typical. Though he is cunning. Many humans are cunning, at least, just enough to trick demons who let their guards down. Which is why you must be always vigilant, otherwise... well, you find yourself locked down and your physical form useless."

"How do you know your human won't do this to you? Lock up your powers in the middle of the night and kill you?"

Bill leaned over to Dipper, pressing a kiss to his lips that the man responded to. "Because his mind and mine are intertwined. We are in love. He has no plans of betrayal, and he never will."

Pavonis scoffed. "Disgusting romance, it's only another weakness, I never- AAHHH!" His body convulsed at a particularly hard slam of the hammer into his leg. There were no more visible shards now. They had been either driven into him, or reduced to powder that littered the bloody massacre that was the top of his thigh.

"That was fun," Dipper said cheerfully. "What next?"

"Your turn to choose something. Do whatever you like."

Dipper set the hammer aside and lifted the knife once more. "Well I still see skin sticking to him and that just won't do." He began methodically tearing strips from over Pavonis's ribs, and the psychic writhed, short cries escaping him as his struggles only made it hurt worse.

"An apology would be nice right about now," Dipper said in a sing song voice as he worked, tapping his knuckles along the exposed rib bones.

"What?" Pavonis snapped. "You would never accept an apology and we all know it."

"True but it'd be fun to hear you try."

"Would apologizing make you stop?"

"Probably not."

"Then I'm not humiliating myself like that." Pavonis huffed and turned his face to the side, clamping his jaw down hard to try and keep himself silent. Bill was beginning to pick at the glass embedded in him, making red hot pain shoot up his leg.

"I want to hear him beg at least once before we kill him," Bill said. "Pine Tree, you still remember that demon killing spell, right?"

"Sure do." Dipper spoke the first line of it, and Pavonis flinched, a fearful shout escaping him. It was involuntary, any demon's reaction to hearing those words. He stared at Dipper, wide-eyed.

"The demon's bane spell... You know it?"

"Yep." Dipper flawlessly recited more, putting magic into it now and directing it all at Pavonis.

It was like incinerating part of the demon's very soul. He howled and squirmed, trying to get away, but he was too woozy from blood loss to really move very far, and his pinned arms did a fairly good job of keeping him in place as well.

"Oh, now that's what I like to hear," Bill purred. He removed his hand from Pavonis's leg, instead running his nails up his body and applying pressure to check all the current injuries. He glanced at Dipper. "Okay, we need to reel it in or he's gonna just bleed out. And since this collar is on him, if he dies now, game over."

"Really?"

"Pretty much. He'd fall into a kind of limbo state, kinda like a coma. Because his demon self should be okay, but it can't manifest. He's stuck in this form until the collar is removed."

"Huh. Then I guess we should stop drawing blood," Dipper commented. "Luckily there are other means of torture. Let's stop the blood real quick." He looked at Pavonis's leg and then cut a long strip of fabric from his pants. He took this and wrapped it very tightly around the top of his leg, pulling it harshly and cutting off blood flow. Pavonis winced as it was tied. His leg was already tingling with the beginning of numbness.

Once done with the makeshift tourniquet, Dipper cut off a large swath from his cape, and another thinner strip of fabric. The swath was folded and used to apply pressure to the ribs, and Bill came over to begin wrapping the other fabric around Pavonis's torso to hold the bandage in place.

"So, not gonna actually gonna heal me, just use crude blood stopping techniques? Pft." Pavonis snorted.

"You don't deserve any better. This will keep you alive." Dipper did the final tie for the bandage. It began soaking through with blood almost immediately; it was just thin fabric, not meant for such purposes. He pressed his hands hard against it.

"Aah..." Pavonis shifted. "Bastards."

"Well, you want us to just kill you now? Because I certainly can."

Pavonis gave him a disgusted look. "Oh, I'm sure. And I'll admit, I would rather die than feel pain like this."

"Well, in about an hour you probably will be begging for death, and I'll see how I feel about granting it."

Pavonis swallowed. He did look afraid. But he said nothing.

Dipper looked down at the wound. The bleeding had stopped. He absorbed all the energy he could from the blood that stained the bandage and his hands, and then said, "I know what I want to do now. That won't lead to anymore blood loss."

"Oh?" Bill asked curiously. He was grinning.

Dipper sighed in bliss at feeling the powerful demonic magic flow through him. When he lifted his hand, purple magic surrounded it.

"Careful," Bill warned.

"Nah, I'm good," Dipper said, and a few railroad spikes fell into his hands.

"His magic is overpowering yours. Be _careful_ or it could overwhelm you."

Dipper waved a hand flippantly. "I'm fine, I'm fine."

Bill was uneasy with that purple gleam to his partner's eye, but he changed subject. "So, the spikes. What are you planning?"

Dipper smiled and set them all down except one. The remaining spike, he held tightly in his hand. A flame blazed up around his fist. Thankfully, it was yellow in color, the way Dipper's magic should be. The spike began to glow red as it was heated up.

"Ohh, I see." Bill grinned. "You're gonna stab him with those, which will be so hot that they'll cauterize the holes so he won't bleed."

"Exactly." Dipper made sure he was also using magic to protect his hand from the scalding metal. This was risky. But he was excited, pumped full of adrenaline, and keeping focus was surprisingly easy. He was sure that after all this, he would crash. But for now, he has never felt so alert.

Pavonis looked at the spike, then at Dipper's expression, and his face paled. "Wait, Pines-"

Dipper's fist came down, and the only thing louder than the splitting and burning of skin was Pavonis's scream.

"Now we got him screaming!" Bill shouted, eye alight with glee. "Deeper!"

Dipper forced the spike deeper into Pavonis's abdomen, watching the flesh blister and bubble away from it, but there was little blood. Vessels were seared shut by the extraordinary heat. He wasn't sure how human this body was. Did Pavonis bother to give it all the organs, or was the inside just flesh and energy?

He didn't seem to be driving through any particular organs, but Pavonis was clearly in unbearable pain nonetheless, writhing and kicking his legs, which only hurt him more.

When Dipper had the top of the spike nearly inside Pavonis's body, he let go and pushed it the rest of the way. The tip broke through on the other side of the demon's body.

"Ohh-ho, listen to him," Bill laughed savagely. "That has gotta hurt."

Dipper picked up another of the metal spikes, slapping it against his hand a few times. Thick, heavy... it would be horrible enough getting one of these driven through you. Have the entire thing red hot, well... he was impressed that Pavonis was still conscious. Must have something to do with him being a demon. Bill had a pretty high pain tolerance too.

The human lit this one up too. His hands were getting a bit pink. He would need to pay more attention to what he was doing.

There was a soft grumble from Pavonis. No words were distinguishable, but Dipper paused, looking down at him. "What was that?"

Pavonis took in a labored breath, eyes squeezed shut. His mouth barely opened, but it was just audible as he whispered, "Stop."

"Stop? Did you stop when we were begging you to? No. You didn't. So shut up and take it." Dipper stabbed the spike down, into a region that would contain the intestines on a human. His victim yelled and thrashed, tears rolling down his face.

When Pavonis spoke, he seemed to be trying not to sob. "I was doing a job! I was paid to do something and I accepted, so I was honor bound to do it! Cipher, you know that once a deal is made, a demon must complete it! We can't cut it off, the human must! I had no choice!"

"You have a choice in accepting it in the first place," Bill pointed out.

Pavonis trembled, and with his eyes wide, he really looked like a terrified kid. Dipper reflected again on what Bill had told him. Only sixteen when he became a demon...

"I didn't know Dipper and I didn't know you very well. It was very impersonal. I didn't care about hurting either of you, it seemed like a fun and simple deal, so I accepted. Please..."

And there it was. The begging.

Bill looked at Dipper. "Well? Wanna stop?"

"I dunno, job or not... I didn't appreciate it much," Dipper said. He was already heating up another spike. "You made a terrible choice accepting that deal, Pavo. You can see the future, yet you didn't see this? A shame."

"It's... difficult to see any future involving another demon," Pavonis said hesitantly. "But everything I could see looked like it turned out well. I... was so wrong."

"Yep. Too late to back out now though." Dipper was ruthless in stabbing through him with the third spike.

The other's scream was hoarse, voice beginning to fail. When Dipper was done pushing it in, the psychic's body went limp, eyes falling shut.

"Is he dead?" Dipper asked curiously.

"Nah, he just passed out," Bill replied. "I should be able to wake him up..."

"No, let him stay asleep. He can recover a bit and we can regain our strength as well." Dipper pulled out the metal spikes, using magic to summon bandages to crudely wrap up the wounds. It felt good, casually using magic like this again.

"I pity him, almost," Bill commented, giving Pavonis a disapproving look. "But he's pretty typical as far as demons go. He just had the bad luck of hurting us. He had a lot of potential, but... he's gonna die for this. It happens. Maybe he'll feel some remorse before we kill him."

"Maybe." Dipper examined the demon. He especially didn't look intimidating now, with his eyes closed and face neutral, sweat on his brow and hair a tangled mess.

"Even if he does, that won't be our problem. He dug his grave, now he better lie in it." Bill stretched out on the floor, examining his remaining wounds and beginning to heal the painful ones.

Dipper followed suit, and then moved in close to Bill, just wanting to hold him. They laid together until their captive began to stir, at which point, Dipper got up and stepped down hard on the demon's chest, leaning over him so he was the first thing Pavonis saw when he opened his eyes.

"Have a nice nap?"

"Fuck, it wasn't just a nightmare," he groaned. "Pines, seriously. Just kill me and get it over with."

"Killing you would be too merciful. I'm gonna make this last for hours." Dipper had plenty of ideas floating around in his head, and he knew that Bill had just as many, if not more.

It was back; that scared expression that made the psychic seem so young, so immature. But age didn't matter here. He was a demon. Dipper and Bill were going to get their revenge no matter how scared and remorseful Pavonis happened to be.

"He isn't sorry about what he did to us," Bill commented. "He's just sorry we escaped. And that we had enough strength left to do this."

Dipper nodded in agreement. His hand found the well-used knife, idly cutting lines through the other's skin without rhyme or reason, just wanting to hurt him.

They didn't draw much more blood, beginning to grow tired. They still needed to go to the hospital. They were going to finish this up soon so they could go get the medical care they needed.

"Give me the knife," Bill said. Dipper did so and stepped back, looking over the bloody and trembling psychic.

"Just get it over with!" Pavonis shouted. His voice was raspy. Full of pain.

"We'll kill you soon. But first..." Bill knelt down next to his head, digging the point of the knife below Pavonis's right eye. "I want to get my own particular revenge. An eye for an eye, you know."

Pavonis gulped, head tilting back away from the sharp point.

Bill laughed and grabbed his head, holding it still. "Nope. No getting away from it. You're gonna get to feel how I felt yesterday." He stabbed the knife into the side of Pavonis's eye socket. Blood spurted out and the demon howled. Bill pushed hard, cutting through the muscles, working around in a messy circle.

Pavonis didn't stop shouting and struggling, up until Bill pulled the eye free of its socket and sliced through the optical nerve.

"There, it's done, not so bad right?" Bill asked sadistically, admiring the bloody eye. He turned it about and then squished it, before his magic consumed it.

Pavonis stared at him from his remaining eye, teeth gritted as he panted rapidly, tears trickling down his cheeks.

"Well, I've done all I wanted," Bill said, stepping back. He gestured to the prone demon. "He's all yours."

Dipper walked up to him. He leaned down to tug off the various bandages, watching the blood pour out. He felt a yearning to take it. To feel that demonic energy inside him. The raw power was like nothing else... what could it hurt to just take a little more for his next spell?

Dipper focused on that energy, absorbing it as he snapped Pavonis's collar. He couldn't properly kill him while he was wearing it.

"Try to escape and I'll really hurt you," Dipper threatened. He motioned to Bill, and the other went to untie Pavonis's wrists.

The psychic struggled into a sitting position, sighing heavily.

Dipper started to speak, but he was interrupted.

"Do I get a final request?" Pavonis asked.

Dipper hesitated, and glanced at Bill. Bill shrugged and gestured to their captive. The message was clear: do as you wish.

"What is it?" Dipper asked, mentally rehearsing the necessary spell.

Pavonis didn't seem so threatening anymore. He was shaking, badly hurt, bleeding out and crying. But his voice seemed steady as he spoke. "Before I die, I just want to know... And this is for Bill to answer... was I a good demon? I mean... Was anything I did... important?"

Bill frowned as he approached him. "Your childhood gave you low self esteem issues. Your whole life, you wanted support and respect. And now, you're asking me to validate the things you have done as a demon. Because you need that validation of your actions."

Pavonis was silent, but his expression betrayed his desire for praise.

"You poor fool. Pavonis, I don't like you. For your age, you are unbearably arrogant. But you're immature. You're immature and just want respect. I understand. So I'll tell you that you did good things as a demon. You were malicious and you fulfilled deals with much enthusiasm and dedication. So I can respect your work. But you just had the misfortune to be commissioned to attack us. It happens. Many demons get killed. Don't beat yourself up."

Dipper nodded, but he was ready to get on with this. His body was buzzing with pent up energy. Most of it stolen from Pavonis.

"So... I did good?"

Bill nodded. "As far as demons go... you were excellent. I still hate you and everything you did to us... but I can appreciate your dirty tactics and... zeal when it comes to completing deals. You made a difference. You mattered."

Pavonis let out the breath he was holding, wincing as he did; parts of him were still bleeding. His expression relaxed. "Bha mi cudromach. Tapadh leat."

Bill gave a slight smile. "S e do bheatha."

Dipper glanced between them. "Are you good?"

Bill nodded. "Yes. He heard what he needed to."

"Getting sentimental, are you?" Dipper teased as he took a steady stance, drawing on his magic.

"I can appreciate a demon who did his job well. Even if it led to suffering for me. I would have liked to see where his road led him. But it's too late for that. Go on, finish the job."

Dipper began the spell. Pavonis shuddered, squeezing his eye shut. But he didn't beg. He didn't cry, or really make any noise. He seemed to have accepted his fate.

It was difficult for Dipper to finish the spell. It sapped all his strength, taking every ounce of his concentration. But it was working, he could see Pavonis's form seeming to shatter, energy escaping between the cracks.

Then Bill's hand slid into Dipper's, and he felt a surge of magic as he yelled the final words.

Pavonis uttered a short, upset shriek before his form was torn apart in a blinding light. Like any other demon they've killed, his soul lingered behind.

Seized by a strange urge, Dipper moved forward. Bill held tight to his wrist, starting to tell him no, but Dipper didn't listen. The human was tired, desiring the energy and power that he knew the soul would give him. He was strong-willed, what could possibly happen?

So he threw off Bill's hands and lifted his own, absorbing the soul for himself.

As slicing pain assaulted his body and mind, causing his knees to give out, he began to second guess his decision. There was an alarmed shout from Bill as he fell, and the world swirled before going black. In Dipper's last shreds of consciousness, he knew that blood was pouring out of his nose and mouth.

What did he just do?


	12. Loving

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Getting back to the chronological order scenes... this is just another smut, sorry for so many of them, but this was one I really wanted to do because there's way more to this one than just sex. When Bill does something in bed that causes Dipper to panic, Bill spends the rest of their love-making telling his partner just how much he means to him, and reassuring him that he'll always be there to help him. Dipper appreciates all of it. Just cute fluff, as I said.  
> So NSFW, but fairly vanilla, with more focus on dialogue than the actual action.  
> Word Count: 2179

Dipper wasn't sure exactly why it happened. One moment he was feeling good, laying on his back underneath his partner and arching as he was taken by the older demon. Then his wrists were being seized and held pinned over his head, and that's when the familiar panic hit him.

He resisted, crying out in fear and trying to pull his arms free, suddenly not wanting to be pinned down, the position of his arms triggering terrible memories of the previous times they were like this, but tied up with chains instead, as his body was mutilated and he could only lay there helplessly-

He screamed, and Bill immediately let go of him, sitting up right before Dipper's claws could slash his chest open.

"Pine Tree?" he asked with concern as the younger demon breathed deeply, eyes staring at him with shrunk pupils.

Dipper blinked, pupils returning to normal, and saw how scared the other looked. He drew his arms against his chest, sniffing. It wasn't anyone trying to hurt him, just Bill getting a little kinky like he always did. There was no reason to be afraid.

But he had tried to attack Bill. He could have really hurt him. He began sobbing, lifting his hands to cover his face. Why was he so broken?

"Oh no. Dipper, love, please..." Bill leaned forward, gently grasping Dipper's hands and lowering them. He held them delicately as he kissed his lover's eyelids, and then kissed away the tears.

"I-I'm sorry," Dipper sniffed, not making eye contact with him. "I'm just... just pathetic... You deserve so much better than this..."

Bill frowned, Dipper's tone breaking his heart. "I understand that you're going through a lot. It hasn't even been a month since what happened, you're still very stressed and lots of things remind you of it. I'm sorry. I pinned your wrists down, I should have known not to do that, and I won't anymore. Not until you're okay with it."

"I'm sorry I keep making things so difficult... All these little things keep bringing up bad memories, and I hate it. Sometimes... I feel like you must really be embarrassed about how I'm acting..."

"Dipper, I love you." Bill rested their faces together, moving his arms down on either side of the other. "Put your arms around me."

Dipper did so, and the older began to move inside him. Very gently, very lovingly. He felt tears sting the corners of his eyes.

"I love you so much." Bill's voice was breathless, full of emotion. "I could never be embarrassed by you."

Dipper wasn't used to such soft treatment by the other. It was nice, and he smiled weakly, a few tears slipping down his cheeks only to be quickly licked away. That made him giggle.

"You're strong," Bill said, moving a little deeper, and Dipper's toes curled. But he maintained that sweet pace, and with each thrust gave another word. "Smart. Clever. Confident."

The compliments made Dipper's cheeks grow hot. He's heard them before, but it never got old. He found himself sobbing again, but more out of pleasure and relief than anything. This felt good... Different from their usual fast, rough pace, but he was enjoying it immensely.

"You are not weak," Bill assured him. "You're just going through a rough time. I understand, and I'm gonna help you out. Anything you need, I'll provide."

"You aren't affected at all," Dipper pointed out. "By what happened? I don't see you having any attacks, or crying... You're so strong and then there's me."

"Oh, Pine Tree..." Bill nuzzled Dipper's hair, moving down to kiss one of his ears, the motion so sweet that the younger tightened his arms around him, hugging him close. "I am affected. I'm still uncomfortable thinking about it, and I've had bad dreams about it. But understand... I've been around for a very long time. I've been through it all before. There was a time when I was a young demon like you, suffering from terrible memories and pain, and I cried. I cried and lashed out and panicked over it all. But I got over it. I accepted everything and moved on. Slowly, things stopped having lasting effects on me. This was bad, but I'll soon just push it into the back of my mind, and it'll just be another memory for me to learn from."

Dipper nodded a bit, beginning to move with Bill's rhythm. He kissed the other's cheek. "I hope I get over it, then."

"I'm sure you will. But don't feel like you have to right now. I will support you through any stress, any attack... Nn," he moaned slightly, the friction really starting to feel good now that he was getting used to this slower pace. "Want me to go faster?"

Dipper shook his head, burying his face into Bill's neck. "No, I like this. Please, just keep talking to me." He felt much better, no longer panicking.

"What do you want to talk about?"

Dipper began tracing his fingers down Bill's side. "Tell me more about how much you love me. Please."

Bill understood that Dipper needed that reassurance right now, so he happily obliged. "You are the world to me. No, more than that... the entire universe. I never expected to fall for someone as hard as I have for you. You are wonderful. So confident, so intelligent, brave and willing to learn and explore... To think that I found you annoying at first."

Dipper laughed a bit. "Yeah, I wasn't exactly your whole world when I was twelve."

"You were an insufferable child who thought he knew everything. Heh... maybe that's why I took a liking to you even then. You and your sister are both incredible people. I'm happy to have gotten to know you two so closely. But especially you, Pine Tree. When we first started working together, I wasn't sure how you would handle it. If you would ever care for me with what I made you do. But you got used to it. You began to enjoy it, and I taught you the things you wanted to know, and your feelings for me grew. I hadn't planned for us to fall in love. But we did. We did, and I'm so happy." Bill sighed as he gently made love to the other, feeling his fingers gripping his back.

"You were my closest friend," Dipper said softly, beginning to feel some effort in moving with the other, but the pace was easy enough to match. He could feel his edge inching closer. Not fast. It was a welcome change. "I was resentful toward you for tricking me and Mabel. You manipulated everything from the start, but you know what? You were kind to me. You helped me with everything, and I liked that. You were a fair master and I felt that it really could have been worse. And I... I got attached. To your wit. Your humor, your optimism, your pride. It was all so intriguing. I wanted us to be closer. Since I was sworn to you for my entire life anyway... Still, I never expected to fall in love with you. Or for you to love me back. But you did. You did, and I'm just so.... so happy you did. This all would have been so much worse if it wasn't for our love."

Bill kissed Dipper's temple through his hair, feeling his body jerk; he was close. "I'm glad to hear that. See, look at how much we've been through. You think something like you feeling realistic trauma from a horrible experience is gonna turn me away from you? Not at all. You're my love. My soul-bonded. That's not gonna change. Aw, come on Pine Tree, don't start crying again."

Dipper quickly wiped his eyes off. "I'm not crying, you're crying."

Bill laughed. "Maybe I am a little."

"It was a joke- wait." Dipper craned his head back, eyes meeting Bill's. The single gold eye was indeed brimming with tears. There also seemed to be tears pooling under Bill's eye patch. "Bill?"

"Ah, hell... I just love you so much." Bill pressed a deep kiss to his lips, and as Dipper responded, he could feel wetness from the other's crying. He chuckled and slid an arm up to the back of Bill's neck, pulling him closer.

Bill moved a little more firmly, and reached down with a hand to grasp Dipper's length, stroking it slowly. With his thoughts, he told the other to just let go.

With a shuddering gasp, Dipper came, separating from Bill's lips to call out his name in pleasure. Bill moaned as he fell over his edge as well, and for a few moments, they just laid together and panted.

Then Bill pushed himself up, withdrawing and laying down next to the other. He leaned over him and began covering his face with little kisses.

Dipper reached up to run his fingers through Bill's hair, using his other hand to wipe the tears from his partner's face. He smiled at him and pulled him close, resting their foreheads together.

"Thank you," he said softly. There was no need to clarify.

"You're welcome." Bill's eye drifted shut, and a peaceful smile crossed his face, content now that Dipper was feeling better. "Never be ashamed of how you feel. If anything makes you uncomfortable, no matter how small, tell me. I won't think it's silly. I never want to upset you."

"Okay... But I usually don't know until... well, like earlier, when I just freak out."

"Understandable. But if you feel the panic coming on, like your chest constricts or your eyes get wide or anything, let me know. And whatever I'm doing, I will immediately stop." Bill stroked Dipper's pointy ear, and then ran his fingers through his hair.

"Okay." Dipper leaned into the touch, chest feeling warm and fuzzy at the attention. "You know... I didn't think you could be gentle like that."

"There are lots of things you don't know about me," Bill said playfully.

"Well, we're both immortal now, you'll have plenty of time to fill me in with all the details of your long life."

"I certainly will. But not right now. And of course I can be gentle. I think it's more fun if we're rough, but you were upset and I wanted to take it slow, so we could talk. I wanted to show you how much I love you, how much I desire you. You are so attractive to me. In so many ways. I want you to be confident in yourself. You said I deserve better than you, but you are everything I want. I have other lovers, but without you, things just wouldn't be the same."

Dipper ran a finger down Bill's arm. "Other lovers... right. You've told me. Are you... in love with them?"

Bill chuckled and shook his head. "No. I like them a lot. But it's not love. And I haven't seen any of them in a long time anyway. None of them could take your place."

Dipper's fingers idly drew patterns against Bill's skin as he thought. Then he said, "But you have been in love before, haven't you?"

"Yes. A few times."

"Would you..." Dipper's tracing slowed. "Ever fall in love again? I mean, I'm immortal too now, so..."

Bill exhaled slowly, and brushed some hair out of Dipper's eyes. "There's always that chance. I could find someone like you again in hundreds or thousands of years. I will always take an interest in such people. But I won't pursue anyone if you don't approve. I can be polyamorous, but if you don't like it..."

"No, no, it's fine. I get it. Just..." Dipper buried his face against the other. "Don't abandon me."

Bill held him tight. "I won't abandon you. I can't. Soul-bonded, remember? You're the only one I've ever done it with. It can only be done between two immortal beings. You were the first I've ever loved that much." He leaned up so Dipper had to look at him, and took his hand. "Aeternum vinctum, right?"

Dipper saw bright white lines of magic winding around their arms, joining them together. He smiled and repeated the phrase, and the magic flashed. "Right."

Bill let go of his hand, and the magic faded from view. "Eternity means eternity. You are mine. I am yours. Forever. If someone else joins us in the future, they will be someone we both approve of. If one of my friends comes around and wants to have a fling, you'll be asked. All right?"

"All right. But if a friend shows up, I expect to be invited to whatever you do."

Bill grinned. "I would be more than happy to let you join in. I think you would enjoy a threesome."

"Probably."

"Come on, Pine Tree." Bill got up, helping Dipper off the bed. "Let's go take a bath, we can talk more there."

"Can we make it a bubble bath?"

"Sure, sapling. Anything for you."


	13. Gift

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mabel sucks at trigonometry and Dipper discovers a new ability. Magical hijinks ensue.  
> Word Count: 2641

“This is too hard, Dipper!” Mabel complained.

Dipper gave a low, patient sigh and smiled at his sister, pulling her against him in a brief hug. “It's all right. You'll get it.”

“If I do not pass my final trigonometry test I am screwed! I bit off more than I could chew, I thought this math class would be easy but it's not, Dipper why did I sign up for this?!” Mabel demanded of him, grabbing his shoulders and shaking him.

“Because you're smart and you knew you could figure it out. Okay, look.” Dipper pointed to the problem she was trying to work out. “You've almost got it.”

“You solve it for me. I'll learn from observation!”

“Math doesn't really work that way, but fine. Here, watch what functions I do.” Dipper picked up the pencil and finished the equation for her. She watched silently as he tapped in numbers on the calculator and wrote down the results, mumbling a few things to himself before finally writing a few numbers. “There. Solved.”

She stared without comprehension, then groaned and slammed her head down. “This is so confusing!”

“Okay, okay, let's start from the beginning.” He coached her through another problem. “If anything, maybe you could just memorize the steps, and do it without needing to understanding how it works. Not like you need to know this stuff anyway.”

“Yeah, maybe...” She sighed as she wrote a few numbers and blankly looked at the page. “I need to get at least a C in this class...”

“You're smart, you'll figure this out. Here.” Dipper gently took her hand in his, guiding the pencil to write it out correctly. “You start with this... and then you can simplify it down...”

Her brows furrowed, and she began moving her hand more on her own, free hand reaching over to type numbers into the calculator.

“Yeah, there you go!” Dipper encouraged, flying through the calculations in his own head, chest glowing with pride as she solved it.

“Whoa! Is this right?” she asked.

He lifted his hand. “Yes, perfect!”

“Wow, it just... clicked, somehow.” She moved on to the next problem, copying it down from her textbook and then starting to work it out. Dipper saw her struggle and took her hand again, but before he could move it, she moved and wrote correctly.

“You're really figuring this out, aren't you? See, I told you.”

“That's so weird, I was so confused and all of a sudden I get it.” She wrote out the solution and looked at it for a few moments.

“I guess I'm just that good of a teacher,” Dipper boasted.

“I guess so. Okay, I want to try this really difficult one that the teacher gave us for extra credit.” Mabel flipped through some pages and looked at a problem. While she now understood how to solve certain parts of it, others were just too complicated, and she wasn't sure what to do with them.

“Ooh, that's a beast. I need to look at that for a bit.” Dipper looked it over, going over the math, and then looked at his scrap paper to write a few things out. “Okay, I think I got it. Wanna start on it? I'll help you out if you get stuck.”

She nodded, copied it down, and began the arduous process of solving it.

Dipper supervised, but she paused after only one line, groaning.

“I have no idea what I'm doing,” she admitted.

“That's okay, there's more to this one.” His hand brushed against hers as he started to point at something she missed, and she suddenly jerked, before furiously jotting down numbers and symbols.

He blinked, ears flicking forward as she worked out the entire problem in only a few seconds.

“Um, Mabel?” he asked, concerned.

“There. Done!”

“I... I didn't even explain how to do that, how...”

“I don't know, I just... we were taught all this, so maybe... maybe it just clicked? I don't know, it just makes sense now!”

Dipper gazed over her paper, and then up at her face. As he did, he became aware of how his energy was passively leaving his body, and with his enhanced demon senses, was able to see it floating into her. When he touched her hand, it intensified, shooting into her arm and traveling up through her body.

Hm. Time to test something.

He cautiously asked, “What do you know about the string theory?”

“String theory? Dipper, I don't pay any attention to that nerdy-”

Then Dipper placed his hand over hers, focusing his thoughts onto everything he knew about the subject, letting his magic touch her. Her eyes widened slightly, looking surprised, and then she said, “String theory is a particular quantum theory that posits that physics such as gravity and mass are affected by the vibrational states of one-dimensional 'strings' that propagate throughout space and interact with each other. It is a possible candidate for a universal theory of everything. In regards to black holes-”

Dipper let go of her, and she jolted, shaking her head and staring off into nothing. “Whoa! What...”

“Do you remember anything else?”

“Plenty! I... I don't even know what to do with this information, why do I suddenly know all this quantum physics stuff? What did you do?”

“I'm not entirely sure, myself.” Dipper looked at his own hands, narrowing his eyes. Then he yelled, “Bill!”

It took a few moments, but then Bill came in with Mabel's cat curled up in his arms. “I already told you, I don't get this level of mathematics.”

“Bill, we have a different issue.”

“Really?” Bill looked curious as he walked over. He took in Mabel's puzzled face and Dipper's concerned one, and he quickly put the cat down. “What's going on?”

“Well, I was teaching Mabel how to do this math, right? She was confused, and I began helping her write things. While I was touching her hand, she suddenly seemed to get it and finished the problem herself. We did this with a few more, even a really long, difficult one. And it was like she just suddenly knew how to do all of it. Without me explaining it anymore, she was perfectly solving problems.”

Bill tilted his head. “Well, it could have just clicked. Like, you finally said something that made sense.”

“That's not all. It was only after I touched her and thought about these things that she learned them. And just now, I asked her about string theory. She doesn't study quantum physics, she showed a lack of knowledge about it at first. And then I took her hand, and she spouted off a summary of it.”

Bill's eye narrowed. “Pine Tree, I want to test something. Ask her to explain something that you know she won't know about, without touching her. But think about whatever it is.”

“Okay.” Dipper turned to Mabel, who seemed baffled but curious. “Tell me about how blood magic works.”

“Oh. Um...” She blinked. “You just... I don't know, I guess you get the blood and then you um... get the magic out? Somehow?”

“Now take her hand,” Bill directed. His gaze was intense as Dipper set his hand over his sister's.

Realization dawned on her face. “Blood contains the very essence of a person's soul. And not just a person... any living creature. Deer, birds, rabbits. They all contain raw energy that can be carefully harvested by the use of spells, once their blood is spilled. Such energy can be separated from the physical matter by a talented caster and used for other purposes. Fuel for additional spells, or imbued in weapons... and blood isn't the only fluid that can do this, tears are also suitable, though not much of that can be taken- whoa!” She stared at the two demons. “I should not know this stuff! Dipper, Bill, what is happening?”

“As I thought.” Bill blinked, the look in his eye softening. “Pine Tree, you're feeding your knowledge to her whenever you touch her.”

“What? Can I do that?” He looked at his palm in wonder.

“It's not exactly common... knowledge transfer can be done with spells, but for you to do it with a simple touch... Hm.” Bill examined the two of them. “Well then. That's it, isn't it? You have the ability to teach people whatever you desire. As long as you know it, you can teach it to other people by directly transferring it into their mind. They'll understand it as if they had learned it themselves, no matter how incompatible it may seem to be with their learning style.”

“Whoa. So does that mean... could I randomly teach her the lyrics to BABBA songs?”

Mabel scoffed. “Implying I don't already know the lyrics to all those.”

“You could! Anything you know, you could give to her.” Bill seemed excited about this revelation. “Imagine the possibilities! You could teach anyone... oh! What if that's what people summon you for? You could be a demon of knowledge, summoned by those who want to learn! Imagine it!”

“That would be a fun thing to deal in... knowledge,” Dipper mused. “Like... what if I taught people things, and in exchange they had to teach me something? Imagine what all I could learn that way.”

“Yes, exactly! It is a marvelous gift to have! I don't think I've seen someone who could do that so naturally in thousands of years! Like I said, spells are usually required for this, but all you have to do is think about it and it happens!” Bill took Dipper's hand, grinning at him. “I knew you would have something unique as your special ability! This is wonderful!”

“Heh. I guess I was always a bit of an intellectual...”

Bill pressed a brief kiss to his lips. “You're very intelligent, Pine Tree. So I am not that surprised you can do this, honestly. Wow, seems you're constantly learning things about your new self, aren't you?”

“Yeah.” He kissed Bill back, and then turned to see what Mabel thought of all this.

“That is an awesome power, bro-bro!” she said with approval. She was now easily finishing the math problems she had been assigned. “Oh my gosh, I think I'm gonna totally ace this final! This stuff all makes sense now! Well, some of it, I'm still not that clear on... but I can definitely BS the right answer out of it!”

“What else do you still not get? Here, lemme give you everything I know on trigonometry.” It took a bit of focus for Dipper to run that knowledge through his mind, but he managed, and pressed their hands together. She blinked, and then grinned.

“Got it!” She began flicking through pages of her book, reading things over and nodding. “Yep, totally get it! Thanks!”

“No problem.”

She was halfway through typing a sequence of numbers into her calculator when she gasped and looked at him, eyes shining. “Hey! Think you could do that for history?”

“Oh geeze. Mabel...”

“Because I get really confused with some of these dates and if you could just put them in my memory that would be awesome!”

“You're the one that's in college, you need to study for yourself, I'm not gonna just implant this stuff into your head...”

“Ooh, and I bet Pacifica would love for you to help her out!”

Dipper rolled his eyes and looked at Bill, who laughed.

“With great power comes great responsibility,” the older demon said. “Use it however you want, but be careful.”

“I'm only gonna use it if you absolutely don't get something,” Dipper said to Mabel. “I don't know if there are any negative side effects to this yet, I want to use it sparingly.”

“Aw, okay. Well, thanks for helping me with this math. I think I should be okay with the other stuff.” She hummed as she finished her homework and put it aside, before moving a history textbook in front of herself and opening it to the last chapter. She gave it a distasteful look. “I wish I could just automatically memorize all this... but hey, I still got a few weeks until the test. Maybe you could come over for another study session later on?”

“Maybe,” Dipper replied, reaching over to mess up her hair.

“This would have been so useful earlier in the year,” Mabel lamented. “Well, there's always next semester. I'll know who to call as a study buddy!”

“I'll always help you out with studying if you need it. But like I said, don't expect this so often.” He used his new-found power to teach her the proper way to gut a deer, and she cringed.

“Dipper, what the hell!”

He laughed and let go. “There's a little something in case you ever go hunting!”

“I'm not going to ever... oh my God!” She pressed the heels of her hands to her eyes. “I am never gonna be able to look at venison the same way again.”

“Sorry, sis. But it could be worse, I could teach you the proper way to gut a human...”

She threw the trigonometry textbook at him. He was too close to get out of the way in time, so it slammed into his head. It hurt a bit, but he managed to catch it before it hit the ground.

“Whoops, that could have landed on your foot, wouldn't want that,” he said cheerfully, placing it back on the desk.

“You're so gross,” she sniffed, beginning to read.

“Aw, I'm sorry, Mabes... but I am a demon now.” He leaned down to hug her. “It's in our nature.”

She huffed, trying to look annoyed, but she couldn't help but laugh as he rubbed his face against hers. “Okay, okay, I get it, you love blood even more than you used to! I accept you for who you are.”

He grinned and showed his fangs before straightening up. “Thanks. That means a lot to me.”

She made a small shooing motion with her hand. “I need to study. Thanks for visiting, I'll call you some time tomorrow.”

“All right. Let me know if you forget any of that math, I want to see how good this ability is.”

“Okay.”

After saying goodbye, Dipper took Bill's hand, and the two teleported back to the Mystery Shack, arriving in the living room.

“Well, that was exciting,” Bill commented as he stretched, before going over to lounge back on the couch. Their two puppies, excited that their parents were home, immediately leapt onto the couch and crawled up his chest, licking happily at his face. He sputtered and sat up.

“Aw, they love you so much,” Dipper cooed as he sat down next to Bill, pulling one of the puppies onto his lap. The one with soft brown fur made little growls at his fingers, and settled when he ran his claws through his fur. “Easy, Cocoa.”

“Same goes to you, Marshmallow,” Bill said to his pup, the little girl with creamy fur speckled with darker brown.

The two may have been a bit hungry when they first named the puppies. Just a bit.

“This power is gonna be so useful,” Dipper said, watching the little dogs lay down and nose at their clothes. “I'm just imagining the possibilities.”

“I'm imagining you unloading so much information on someone that it drives them insane.”

Dipper sighed. “Of course you would.”

“I'm imagining you going up to random people and forcing them to understand the workings of the human heart or how to properly strangle someone or-”

Dipper interrupted him with a kiss. As he pulled back, he smiled and said, “One step at a time, please. I want to use my power for good. At least for a little while.”

Bill chuckled. “Sure. Let's see how long that lasts.”


	14. Working Up To It

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An anon on Tumblr requested a bit more to this series. More dark stuff, particularly. This is that stuff.  
> Word Count: 3011

A soft shuffling of feet alerted Dipper that his partner had entered the room. One of his ears swiveled to face the sound on instinct; a muscle movement he was still getting used to. He turned completely to the older demon, just in time for Bill to climb up onto his lap and wrap his arms around his neck, snuggling with him.

With a chuckle, Dipper hugged him back, deciding to take a break from his reading.

“All right, what do you want from me?” he asked.

Bill nipped at his neck. “What, you think that just because I'm being affectionate, it means I want something from you?”

“That's usually the way you operate, yes.”

Bill snorted. “You're too clever... Okay yes, I do have a question for you. When are we gonna get back to killing people?”

Dipper tensed. “Oh, well... I don't know.”

“It's been several weeks since I got out of the hospital, and I feel great. I'm more than ready to go back to debt collecting. You're going to join me, right?”

“Bill, I...” Dipper thought back to months ago. When he and Bill worked side by side, killing with joy, relishing how blood spurted from their enemies' wounds, laughing together at the screams of pain. His demonic instincts were roused at the memories, intrigue filling his body. Part of him wanted to go back to that. It would be fun, it was what he was meant to do. But then he thought about Gideon and Pavonis. He remembered having his arms chained down and immobile, as blades were gouged through his flesh. He could remember screaming and thrashing, sometimes passing out from the sheer agony of it. How he vowed to never inflict such pain on anyone, ever again. “I don't know if I can,” he admitted.

Bill frowned at the other's musing. “Hey, it's okay. I know you're still recovering from what those two put you through... but the people I've made deals with, they... they agreed to pay me. You and I never agreed to be tortured, but in a sense, my clients have. My deals are sealed with their lives. They understand that if I don't get what I want, I'm going to take it from them, with interest. You're not bound to follow my orders anymore. That all went away when your soul was changed. But...” His hands drifted down Dipper's arms. “I don't want to do this without you.”

“I don't know if I could ever enjoy it like I used to,” Dipper said. “I can go with you to intimidate people. I can... possibly rough them up a bit, push them around or slap them, just to get whatever you were promised, but... I don't want to kill. Not so soon.”

Bill gently embraced him. “I understand.” He leaned back, standing up. “I'm going out to collect something very simple, then. I was owed actual money from someone. It shouldn't be too hard to wrestle it out of them. You can come with me if you want. You won't have to resort to violence if you don't want to. But I think it'll be good to get out there again. After all, you're a demon too now. You might just start getting summoned one day.”

“I don't even know my own summoning ritual, how would anyone else figure it out?”

“Oh, every demon knows how they're summoned. You just gotta do some soul searching and get the information written down, and then release it into the world. A demon can keep it secret for as long as they want, but it's really difficult to gain power without making deals. If you want to keep using magic, you'll need to get energy somewhere. Food will only take you so far.”

“Hm. Maybe I'll figure that out later, then... for now, I guess I can go with you.” Dipper stood, and Bill gave him a reassuring smile as he took his hand.

“Great! Hopefully this will be quick. Then we can see about figuring out your summoning ritual, hmm? Come on, let's get going!” Bill drew on his magic, and in the next instant, they were teleporting away.

 

The first trip to take care of a deal-breaker was fairly relaxed. Dipper didn't have to hurt the person at all. He and Bill showed up, introduced themselves, and intimidated the person with screaming and a few well-placed fireballs. The human had broken down sobbing and wrote a check for the promised payment right then and there, also hurling a quite fancy watch at Bill and telling him to keep it, in between sobbing apologies.

“What a pushover,” Bill had commented as they left, wrapping the watch around his wrist.

Over the next several weeks, Dipper got back into the routine of helping Bill collect payments. And slowly, much like he had done back when they first made the deal, he encouraged Dipper to start using force. The young demon had been hesitant, but he got used to it again. He began to like it after a while, just letting out stress by pushing people around, startling them and making them scream.

One day Bill asked him to cut someone's arm open because he needed blood. When he obliged, he had found his instincts roused by the action, and had to hold himself back from just ripping the skin off completely.

Bit by bit, Dipper returned to his old ways. Except now it felt completely natural. Enjoyable, even. Like a small voice in his head was urging him to attack, telling him that it was what he was meant to do. He felt pride when successfully wounding someone.

And then Bill told him that he had struck a deal with someone that had wanted strength, and then had gone on to hurt people. That the person was robbing and molesting and killing others. On top of that, he hasn't paid back. Bill was disgusted and wanted him dead. And after hearing about his crimes, Dipper did too.

They struck at night. As the man was drunkenly stumbling along to his apartment, the two ran up behind him and seized each of his arms, hauling him backward and between two buildings. They took him back into the shadows and threw him down onto the filthy concrete.

“What the fuck?” he shouted, rolling over and glaring up at the two. When his eyes landed on Dipper, wings flared out and obviously not human, his face paled. “What are you?”

“Don't worry about him right now,” Bill snapped. “I'm Bill Cipher, remember me?”

“B-Bill? Yes, I remember you...” The man moved back, swallowing nervously.

“I gave you your power expecting you to pay me back. And you have not paid me back. Not only that, but the way you have been using it... disgusting. You will not survive this day.”

“I was going to pay you, I just forgot how to summon you!”

“Too bad, asswipe!” Bill planted his foot in the other's chest, slamming him back against the brick wall. “You don't deserve to live. You don't deserve any pity. Dipper, show Anthony here what happens to scumbags like him.”

Dipper smirked as he stepped forward, reaching out with claws already glowing with magic. “First, let's rip out that energy you were given, since you never paid for it...” He sunk them deep into the other's chest, ripping easily through his shirt, and then tore his claws back out. Chunks of skin were ripped away, blood cascading down Anthony's front. He gasped and collapsed backward as his energy was completely sapped, leaving him just barely conscious.

Bill hummed as he held his hand out to Dipper, who passed him his knife. As the older demon got to work stripping the clothing from Anthony's torso, Dipper cast a spell that would muffle any noise they made. No one standing three feet away or more would be able to hear a thing. Then he dropped onto his knees next to the man, dragging him up into a sitting position and slapping his face from side to side to make sure he was awake. The other groaned and struggled, throwing a punch at Dipper that was easily avoided.

That was the provocation Dipper needed. He swiftly reached into the inside pocket of his jacket and took out a hammer, seizing Anthony's wrist and pinning it to the ground. Then he swung the hammer down onto his hand.

The bones snapped with a series of very satisfying crunches, and the man screamed, legs kicking. He managed to throw Bill off of him, one foot hitting the other in the jaw with a sick cracking noise.

Bill jerked back with a growl; Anthony was wearing heavy motorcycle boots.

“Bill, are you okay?” Dipper asked, grabbing the human by the throat and choking him.

“Y-yeah, fine... oww.” Bill grimaced as he rubbed his jaw. “I think he broke my jaw... teach him a lesson while I heal this, all right?”

“All right.” Dipper let up on the pressure so Anthony could breathe, and then brought the hammer down on his other hand. He kept swinging, breaking each finger individually, heart racing as the man shouted and cried for help. Good, his victim was in pain, this was perfect.

Licking his lips, he leaned forward, wings curling forward as though to block an escape attempt, though the other was in no condition to run. He pinned the other down on his back, throwing the remaining shreds of his shirt off, and began using the other side of the hammer to tear skin away.

Anthony renewed his struggling, loud gasps and cries escaping him, tears streaming down his face. He was still trying to beg for mercy.

“Did you grant any of your victims mercy?” Dipper snarled, sinking the metal into the other's skin and ripping a gash open that exposed a rib bone. Blood ran thick down his body. “Did you leave them alone, did you stop hurting them? No!” His arms shook as he moved the tool down, tearing another hole into the man's trembling body. He felt rage fill his being, bubbling beneath his skin, white hot. It has been a long time since he felt this. But it was familiar. It was good. He was bursting with enthusiasm, bloodlust slowly creeping in around the edges of his mind. He could kill this human. He could kill him right now, it would be so easy, he could-

“Dipper?” Bill's voice interrupted his thoughts. Dipper shook his head and looked up at him. The other's eye was wide and concerned.

“What?” Dipper asked.

Bill reached out to touch his face, stroking his cheek. “Are you okay?”

“I'm fine, why?”

“You're... losing control. Not that it's a bad thing, I just... haven't seen it in a while.”

Dipper looked down at Anthony, bleeding out from several wounds, eyes closed and breathing ragged. Hate surged through him once more. “I want to kill him.”

Bill raised his hands, standing up and stepping back. “Very well. He's all yours. Let him have it.”

Dipper shook Anthony until he stirred and opened his eyes, and then resumed hacking away at his ribs. It wasn't enough. He spun the hammer and began breaking the bones, going down them one by one, breaking one whole side, and then switching to the other. His fingers began to twitch with pent up aggression. He threw the hammer aside and began flaying skin off with his claws. He sighed at the sensation of blood pouring out between his fingers, and dug in deeper. More screaming. His ears perked forward, listening intently. His breathing quickened, and he put more force behind his blows.

Slowly, he began carving into the man's abdomen. He pulled out huge chunks of tissue and threw them aside, shredding muscle, sinking his hands in deeper and deeper. The body wasn't moving anymore. He hardly noticed. It was still warm. Blood covered his hands up to the wrists. He grabbed a handful of viscera and pulled. Out came the large intestine in a jumbled mess, splitting apart at the violence of the demon's yanking, only for Dipper to gather it back up and continue to pull.

He didn't stop mutilating the body until his hand closed around the heart and tore it out, and he brought it up to his mouth, biting into the soft yet firm flesh. His sharp teeth sliced through easily, and he savored the life force in the blood as it poured down his throat.

He had swallowed the entire organ and was eagerly taking hold of more guts before Bill gently grasped his arm and tugged on him. He turned to look at the other, licking his lips off, almost tempted to attack the second human. Then the scent registered, and he remembered that this human was merely a vessel for another being. A demon, like him. A much older and more powerful demon... Bill Cipher. His partner.

Blinking, Dipper stared at him, mind going blank for a few moments.

“Have fun?” Bill asked.

Dipper's rational thought caught up to him. They were collecting payment on a deal Bill had made. The human named Anthony had deserved to die. And Dipper had killed him. He stumbled to his feet, staring down at the mangled carcass, all too aware of the blood covering him, the taste of copper in his mouth and throat, how he was still salivating. And even now, he felt a violent urge to rip, to kill... horrified, he backed away.

“What have I done?” he asked, looking down at his hands.

“A good deed. Fuck that guy, honestly.” Bill kicked the body, and turned to Dipper with a grin. Seeing his partner trembling, his smile faded. “Hey, what's wrong?”

“I didn't want to kill anymore, I didn't want to hurt anyone like that after knowing what it felt like, but I started and then it was like I just couldn't stop, I was so mad about what he had done, and... and...” Dipper sank down onto the ground, crossing his arms over his knees and hiding his face.

“Oh, Pine Tree...” Bill knelt down beside him, rubbing his back, right between his wings where he liked it. “He deserved it. He deserved to die a brutal death. I wouldn't have asked you to do this if I didn't think that. People that haven't hurt others, I... I won't ask you to hurt them. Those payments are easy, we just get what we need and go, but criminals like this... you know they'll never be caught. They can't be convicted with physical evidence. But I see all, and I'll know. And we can enact vigilante justice on them. Make this world a little better, one criminal at a time. So... please, don't be upset. You didn't do anything wrong.”

“I lost control, it was like there was nothing human left in me, I just attacked him like an animal...”

“You attacked him like a demon. It's in your blood now. You have to learn to control it.” Bill gently pulled him into his arms. “Or not. I think it'll be more satisfying for you if you just go with your instincts. But the choice is yours.”

“I... I want to control what I'm doing. That was... awful... I mean, it kinda felt good, but... at the same time it felt so wrong.”

Bill's hand slid up, rubbing behind one of Dipper's ears. “I'm sure. You still have some of your old humanity in there. I don't know if it'll ever go away. So you'll probably always have this conflict. Unless you sort it out for yourself.”

Dipper nodded slowly, leaning into the other's hold. He sat there with him for a while, closing his eyes and just trying to come to terms with what he did. He was beginning to agree that the death was justified, but the way he had delivered it... it scared him, how easily he had done that. If he kept this up, he would quickly return to his behavior before he and Bill were ever captured and tortured. When he would kill indiscriminately and with glee. How he and his partner would laugh together as they tortured and slayed. As loathe as he was to admit it, he had enjoyed those times. It had been amazing stress relief, letting go like that. Maybe it was wrong, but...

But weren't human lives fleeting enough that it didn't make much difference? He was immortal now. Just like Bill. He didn't have to get hung up on individual lives. It made no difference to the universe who lived or who died on this one particular planet. And if these people willingly made a deal with the devil, they knew what they were signing up for. They knew the cost of not fulfilling their ends of the bargains. Really, he and Bill were just keeping the balance.

Dipper opened an eye, looking at Bill, who was smiling at him. The other was sharing his thoughts with him. Helping to convince him. He appreciated it, and gave him a small kiss. He was a demon, he told himself. He couldn't stick to human morals anymore. He would never be able to sustain himself like that. Make deals. Complete deals. Gain energy. Grow more powerful. Repeat. If a human tries to interrupt the cycle? Eliminate them. Very simple. The system worked. Why fight it?

“I'm okay,” he said, standing. Bill rose up with him, and gave him a relieved kiss. When their lips separated, Dipper continued, “I worked things out. I'm... okay. I still need some time to think about all this, but... I think we can get back to how things were before. Just... let's try to leave the killing to people who deserve it, okay?”

“Of course.” Bill stroked his arms. “You did great today. I'm proud of you.”

“Thank you.”

“Now let's gather our stuff, burn the body, and head home, hm? You definitely need a shower after that one.”


	15. Massage

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I posted this little drabble on Tumblr but never shared it here. My bad. Just a cute, somewhat sensual moment with Bill massaging Dipper's wings.  
> Word Count: 655

“God, Bill…” Dipper groaned out as Bill’s oiled hands firmly pressed into the strained muscles between his wings, at first causing a flare of pain as the muscles were pushed, but the sustained pressure melted the soreness into relief.

Bill hummed as he began rolling the heels of his hands between the wing shoulders, enjoying how his partner buried his face into his arms, pointy ears laying flat. He smiled as one motion drew a low moan from his young demon, and began working his way up an arm. He pressed carefully but firmly all along the bicep, drifted his fingers affectionately across the crook of the elbow, and made his way up to the wrist. Here, he massaged the tendons, forcing them to relax. There was a lot of tension here; the wrist was responsible for the movement of the fingers. A lot of movement and vibration ran through these bones, so the joint needed to be flexed well so it didn’t lock up.

Once he was satisfied that the wrist was relaxed, Bill grasped the large leading finger between his thumb and forefinger, sliding down to the first knuckle. He gently twinged the joint, popping it, and moved down. He began using both hands, popping the knuckles and stroking along each finger.

Dipper sighed in pleasure as he felt that wing go limp under Bill’s talented hands. It didn’t even seem to hurt now. It was just sort of tingly, in a good way. His eyes drifted closed as Bill moved to treat the other wing.

The second wing was given the same thorough massage, and Bill had to pause at one point to apply more oil to his hands. The substance was warm and left pleasant tingles as it was rubbed into his skin, and when Bill’s hands finally returned to the center of his back and pushed down and up, he moaned.

Bill chuckled and leaned down, now carefully rubbing oil onto the wing membranes. They didn’t know if the skin would ever wear out and crack or tear, but there was no harm in treating them anyway. Besides, it felt good.

A little too good, in Dipper’s opinion. There was no denying just how much he loved the touch of Bill’s supple hands on his wings, massaging them, making them feel absolutely wonderful after a long day of flying. And just the simple reality of having his lover straddling his backside, giving him such focused attention, was enough to turn him on. He wouldn’t mind having those hands a little lower… wrapped around his hips, perhaps…

Bill grinned as he listened to Dipper’s musing, and leaned down to press himself along the younger’s back, hands gripping Dipper’s sides. Then he murmured into his ear, “I wouldn’t mind that either.” And he nipped roughly at the other’s neck, putting just enough pressure on it that Dipper let out another moan, hips shifting.

The younger uttered several curses under his breath as that bite turned into suckling, Bill’s tongue soothing over the abused skin. There would probably be a bruise later. God, he was so hard.

He heard Bill snicker, listening to his thoughts. Bastard. One of the older demon’s hands moved, sliding up to a wing and finding the crook of its elbow, caressing the tender skin. Dipper purred and rolled his shoulders a bit, enjoying how it felt to have the other stretched along his back. Though it’d be nicer if Bill took his shirt off, so he could feel his heat too.

“Excellent idea, Pine Tree. You’re so clever.” Bill sat up to tug his shirt off, tossing it aside. Then he proceeded to lean down and leave kisses all down Dipper’s back and out along his wings, occasionally scraping with his teeth and suckling, and as his hands resumed stroking the limbs, Dipper sighed in bliss. He needed to come home with sore wings more often.


	16. What-If: Dipper's Gamble

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So ages ago I discussed with Creslix the idea of Dipper saying whatever he needed to in order for Pavonis and Gideon to let him go, even if he had to throw Bill under the bus to do so. Well, here it is in its 8000+ words of sadness. This has actually been done for a while and I'm not sure if I like it but I figured I might as well post it. Dipper does still have love for Bill. But self-preservation pushes him to eventually speak against him in a desperate bid to escape from the torture. It works, but at what cost?  
> Word Count: 8669  
> Warnings for abuse, suicidal thoughts, depression, and PTSD

It felt like he’s been trapped here forever. In constant pain, starving, cold, and sick. Each day Dipper questioned whether or not he would even survive to the next. But Pavonis hadn’t lied when he said he could draw out torture for as long as he needed. Even when Dipper came close to death, he lived. And each day he grew weaker, and he was beginning to grow delirious. He began snapping at Bill, not wanting him to touch him, terrified that he would hurt him too. He sometimes even yelled at him, blaming him for all this, and Bill never defended himself. He would just watch him with an exhausted eye (the other had been cut out long ago) and nod grimly, and when Dipper finally grew tired of yelling and began coughing and muttering under his breath, the demon would just sigh, say “sorry”, and turn away.

“Why don’t you yell back?” Dipper shouted at him one night, after their captors had left and he was gripping his limp arm, the limb filled with red hot shards of pain; the bones had been shattered. He slapped at Bill’s shoulder. “This is your fault, but you’re not even going to deny it?”

“No, because it is my fault,” Bill sighed, exhausted. “I couldn’t protect you. And it tears me apart, because now we’re stuck here until they’re done with us. I’m sorry.”

“Sorry doesn’t make the pain go away!” Dipper turned away from him, continuing to hold his injured arm, glaring at the wall. His nose was running, and he sniffed, then sneezed. “Ugh.”

“Do you hate me?” Bill asked.

“No. I hate Gideon and Pavonis. I’m just… really mad at you.”

“I understand.”

“Some great demon you are. Let yourself get ambushed by a young demon in a grocery store. You’re pathetic.”

“I know I am.”

“What happened to you? The Bill I met years ago was powerful and arrogant. You’re just… a doormat.”

“My powers are nearly gone and I’m in extreme pain, Dipper. Forgive me for not behaving like myself right now.”

Dipper huffed. “Whatever. You’ve turned into a pushover since they captured us. I’m embarrassed to be associated with you. No wonder Gideon and Pavonis don’t respect us.”

Dipper’s words stung, but Bill didn’t argue. He understood his anger. And he also understood that Dipper wasn’t all mentally there either. Eventually they’ll get out and he could try to nurse the boy back to health. Maybe one day he’ll forgive him.

Dipper didn’t speak to him anymore. He shifted around, trying to find a comfortable way to lay down, crying at the pain in his body. Bill looked at him, heart aching.

“Want to lean against me?” he asked.

“No,” Dipper replied, shaking as he slowly laid down on a side. He winced, rolling onto his back, and then back onto his side.

“You’re just going to hurt yourself more,” Bill tried to convince him, but Dipper only glared at him and turned to face the wall. Bill laid down too. “Can I touch you?”

“I don’t want you to.”

A painful pang went through Bill. His eye watered, and he moved away. “I’m so sorry, Pine Tree. I didn’t want this. I’m sorry.”

Dipper didn’t reply, just sobbing softly. And Bill couldn’t even comfort him. The demon felt a few tears slip down his cheeks before he let his exhausted body pass out.

 

“Rise and shine!” a sadistically cheerful voice woke them, accompanied by a metallic whirring noise.

Dipper and Bill quickly scrambled up, both groaning and Dipper crying a bit.

“No crying yet, I haven’t even touched you,” Pavonis laughed, holding a cordless power drill. “Gideon, take em out to use the bathroom, I’ll get things ready here.”

Gideon looked guilty; he usually did these days. But that didn’t stop him from participating in the torture, and watching and taking Dipper’s energy.

He took them outside quickly; the two couldn’t stand for long, and it wasn’t like they ate or drank much anyway, so they didn’t need much time to relieve themselves.

Bill cringed a bit when Dipper threw up, the pain of walking too much for him. He fell onto his knees, and Gideon gave his chain a harsh yank before sighing and gesturing to Bill. “I don’t feel like dealing with him, you get him inside.”

Bill glared at Gideon, then knelt down next to Dipper. “Come on, get up.”

“No.”

“Dipper…”

“I can’t.” Dipper’s voice broke.

“You have to.” Bill slid an arm around him and forced him to his feet.

“Ow, that hurts!”

“I’m sorry. Please, just don’t give up. Come on.” Bill pretty much had to drag him, but he managed to get Dipper back inside.

“How pathetic,” Pavonis sneered as they passed him, kicking at Bill’s back to make him move faster. “Just get back down on the floor already.”

Bill helped Dipper sit down, sinking down next to him. Their chains were attached to the wall.

“Now then… I’m feeling mechanical today,” Pavonis said, pressing the button on the drill. The bit rotated.

Dipper shook, and Bill shielded him. “Stay strong, Dipper,” he said to him gently, like he did every morning. Even though Dipper had given up long ago.

Pavonis was brutal with the tool, drilling holes into their skin, sometimes with a screw attached, sometimes not. Bill refused to cry, but Dipper was at the end of his rope. He was screaming, begging for mercy, and each time he asked, Pavonis would strike him with the handle of the tool and threaten to put a nail through his skull. Dipper yelled at him to do it. Kill him. Put him out of his misery.

“Oh I’d make sure you survived it, you little shit!” Pavonis growled. “And I’d make Bill watch you suffer, make him lick up the blood and swallow the fragments of bone and bits of skin that fly out. Don’t tempt me, boy.”

“I just want to die,” Dipper whimpered. “Please just kill me… please.”

“Hmm, nah,” Pavonis drawled, sticking the drill into Dipper’s thigh.

Gideon covered his ears and squeezed his eyes shut at the howl of agony. He felt Bill struggle underneath him, and slammed his fists down into his stomach. The demon stilled.

The scream stopped, and Gideon opened his eyes again. He did his best not to look at the blood running down Dipper’s legs. He looked at Bill instead, who he was beating on to keep him distracted while Pavonis was dealing with Dipper.

Bill glared at him, but said nothing. There was nothing to say.

“Please,” Dipper choked out. “I don’t deserve this.”

“And why’s that?” Pavonis asked, running the tip of the bit along Dipper’s cheek. He didn’t push the button though. Dipper shivered, scared that he would.

“I…” Dipper’s eyes darted to Bill, and then back to Pavonis. He swallowed. He hadn’t wanted to bring this up, but he was so desperate for mercy, for any sympathy from them… “I was forced to help him.”

Pavonis raised his brows, and Gideon looked over, curious.

“What do you mean?” Pavonis questioned. “Who forced you?”

“Bill,” Dipper gasped out, chest heaving. Everything hurt so bad… “He blackmailed me a little more than a year ago, got me in his debt for the rest of my life… He had no power over reality back then, so he made me do his dirty work, hurting people who didn’t complete deals with him, even killing them… He brainwashed me into enjoying it, and I… everything I’ve done, it’s been for him. I would never do any of that if I had a choice.”

Bill was staring at him, open-mouthed. His eyes watered. “Dipper, you… you started enjoying it on your own, you… said you understood me.”

“I understand why you wanted me to do it. But you influenced me to enjoy it. You’re the one who brainwashed me. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for you.”

“I thought you loved me.”

“I do love you. I don’t love what you’ve done to me.” Dipper’s voice was bitter, pained.

Pavonis turned to Gideon. “Pines didn’t choose any of this. Bill forced him into serving him. Should he really still be punished?”

“No doubt Bill had him seduced from the beginning,” Gideon said, frowning. “He didn’t want to become a murderer. Dipper, have you really been under Bill’s control?”

“Yes,” Dipper insisted. “You know how I was before, you know I’m not a killer. But now with Bill powerless, I’m free from his spell, and I regret everything… Please, you have to believe me.”

“You definitely have the aura of someone who’s deeply apologetic,” Pavonis said. “It’s your call, Gideon. I’ll do whatever you want. Which is the way it’s supposed to work, Bill. I serve the human for a reward, not the other way around.”

Bill rolled his eye.

Gideon hesitated, then said, “This better not be a trick, Pines.” He slowly grasped his collar. “You repent for everything you’ve done?”

“Yes, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,” Dipper assured him. “Please let me go, I’ll never do any of that again, I’m sorry.”

“I think you’ve suffered enough for all those lives you’ve taken,” Gideon mused. “All right. I’ll let you go, but Bill stays. If anything, his punishment will be doubled, for making you do what you did in his name.”

The collar was unclasped, and Dipper breathed in deeply. He sobbed and collapsed forward, feeling a weak flicker of magic deep in his core. He still had some. “Thanks, Gideon,” he whispered. “Thank you so much.” He was getting blood all over the boy, but he didn’t care, hugging him and crying.

“We really destroyed him,” Gideon said to Pavonis.

“Yeah he’s gonna be traumatized,” Pavonis commented. “Well, send him on his way.”

“He’s in no condition to go anywhere. He can’t walk and neither of us are any good at healing spells.”

Pavonis groaned and set the drill down. “Fine. You keep torturing Bill. I’ll take care of Dipper.”

“What are you going to do with him?” Gideon asked, easing Dipper into Pavonis’s arms.

“I’ll take him out to the nearest search party and drop him where they can find him. He’ll be fine.”

Dipper struggled a bit when he realized who was holding him, but he was too weak to do more than toss his head and wiggle his shoulders.

“Ssh, calm down,” Pavonis said, patting his hair. “I’m sorry, all right? If I had known from the start that you were under Bill’s control, I would have let you go.” He stood, easily lifting Dipper in his arms. “But the way you were acting before, you were proud of what you were doing. I guess that was his influence.”

Dipper was silent, looking over at Bill. The demon’s eye was full of betrayal, tears running down his cheek. “Yeah,” he said. “It was.”

“I want you safe,” Bill said. “I understand if you hate me. As long as you survive. Go on, get out of here. Don’t worry about me. See you soon, I hope.”

“Not likely,” Dipper replied, and turned away. But not before seeing the utter dejection on his face. Dipper’s heart ached. But he felt no desire to apologize.

Pavonis carried him out, and once they were outside, Dipper felt the familiar pressure of teleportation. He closed his eyes, stomach rolling with nausea. Then it was over, and they were in a much thinner portion of the woods. Dipper actually thought he kinda knew where, but he was too tired to figure it out. His thoughts were a hazy jumble, nothing particularly distinct coming through.

“I’m… sorry,” he said to Pavonis. “I… I did kinda like what I was doing, but only because Bill introduced me to it… If not for him, I wouldn’t kill, or torture, he’s…”

“I know. He’s a demon, he manipulated you. It’s what we do. Rest assured, he’ll be punished.”

“Are you going to kill him?”

“No. But by the time we’re done with him, he’ll wish he was dead.” Pavonis set him down, leaning him against a tree. “There’s a group of people wandering through this area with flashlights, looking for you. Start screaming for help and they’ll come. And don’t tell anyone who did this to you.”

“Got it,” Dipper agreed. “But they’ll look for DNA and fingerprints, Gideon’s are on me, and he’s been to prison before, so he’s in the systems…”

Pavonis was quiet. Then he shrugged. “Ah well if they do catch him it’s not my business, I’ll still get what he promised me, haha. See ya!” He disappeared, and Dipper grunted as he looked around.

“Help,” he coughed, before clearing his throat and gathering up his strength. “Help! Someone! Help!”

It took a few minutes, but then he heard a faint answering voice. “Stay still! Can you hear me?”

“Yes! Please help!”

“We’re on our way, keep shouting if you can!”

Dipper was on the verge of passing out, but he kept yelling.

A second voice answered, wonderfully familiar. “Dipper! That’s him, that’s Dipper!”

“Mabel!” Dipper would recognize his sister’s voice anywhere. “Mabel, I’m right here!”

“I’m almost there, hold on!”

“Hurry!”

Dipper could hear them moving now, vaguely see a group in the distance, but his vision was blurry. One person broke into a run, leaving the group behind.

Dipper confirmed it was Mabel seconds before she was in front of him, falling onto her knees and hugging him tight. “Dipper, oh my God, you’re alive, I was so worried, we’ve been looking for weeks, oh…” She leaned back, getting a look at him. She gasped. “You’re covered in blood! What are these scratches, and bruises and…” She was looking more closely. “Are these stab wounds? They’re so narrow and circular, and your skin… God!” Her voice cracked, eyes filling with tears. “You look awful, what happened?”

“I’m glad you’re here, Mabes,” Dipper said, stroking her hair. His broken arm hung limp. If Mabel was disgusted by the blood on his hand, she said nothing. “Now please take me to the hospital.”

“We will, but you gotta talk to me, who did this?!”

Dipper didn’t answer, fading out as the rest of the group reached them. He recognized some of them. Others he didn’t. They all looked horrified by his appearance. He tried greeting the ones he knew. “Hey Pacifica… Soos… uh, beard guy…” His vision went hazy, and then he fell forward, passing out. Mabel caught him, but he was too far gone to notice.

 

The beeping of monitoring equipment greeted Dipper as he opened his eyes. His body felt heavy and numb. There were no lights on but a window was open, letting sunlight in. He groaned, shifting and feeling dull pain all over. His arm felt like it was full of needles.

Looking around, Dipper realized he was in a hospital. But this didn’t encourage much reaction. He was so tired, head full of clouds. Thinking would take effort. So he didn’t.

He just laid there, idly watching the shifting lines on the monitor next to his bed. Instinctively he knew it was for his heart beat. Slow, wasn’t it? Was that good or bad?

He yawned and casually stretched. His back popped. A deep soreness told him that he’s been laying here for a while. The screen had a date on it. But he didn’t know what the day was when Gideon let him go. He felt a flicker of hate. Then sorrow. He had gotten away… but left Bill. Bill was responsible for getting them caught, sure, but… Should Dipper have thrown him under the bus like that? He could remember the hurt in his lover’s eyes. And at this very moment, he was probably being tormented.

Dipper sighed, eyes watering. “Sorry, Bill…” His voice was hoarse. “I still love you, but… but if it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have been tortured like that. I wanted to get away. So I did.”

There was no point. Bill couldn’t hear him. And while Dipper still had access to magic, he had no strength to use it.

The human looked down at his own body. He was under a sheet, but his arms were free. His left was bound in a tight bandage. That was the one that had been shattered. He found that he could flex his fingers. That was a good sign. The right was also covered in band-aids, and there was a patch where a needle seemed to attach. Further down, on the middle finger of that hand, was a small clamp. That must be measuring his heart rate.

He figured he must have been here for a while. He just didn’t have any recollection of anything since passing out in the woods. Maybe he could get a nurse in here?

A remote of some sort was sitting conveniently close to his hand. He grasped it and turned it so he could see the top. A cord stretched out of it, going down the side of the bed and out of view. It had an up arrow and a down arrow, which he soon figured out adjusted the angle of the upper portion of the bed. There were a few more controls… and then there was a very recognizable red button. He clicked it and waited.

He felt surprisingly at ease. Maybe it was just his exhaustion, maybe it was whatever drugs they were pumping into him, but he wasn’t really upset. He wasn’t bored or annoyed. He was just relaxed. It was relatively quiet in here, warm, and it didn’t smell like blood and sweat. He might as well be on vacation.

Finally the door opened, a woman peeking in. “Mr. Pines, are you awake?”

“I sure am,” he said.

“Oh good!” She came in, coming over to check the monitor and then gently grasp his hand. “Look at you, finally awake. How do you feel?”

“Kinda sore, kinda… woozy.”

“That’s normal, you were asleep for a while.”

“How long?”

“About two days. But don’t worry, your family is being informed of your progress and you’re well on your way to a full recovery. You have a lot of injuries but nothing that should permanently disable you.”

“Good,” Dipper sighed. “So, my legs…”

“They weren’t pretty, but we have them patched up and healing. You may have to use a cane for a while, but you’ll recover.”

“I was really sick too, I had a flu…”

“Yes, we’re monitoring you for signs of pneumonia, but you’ve made a remarkable recovery since being placed under our care.”

“I’m glad. So… I’ll be okay?”

“You should be.”

“All right.” Dipper wasn’t sure, though.

The nurse picked up on it. “What’s wrong? Do you have any concerns we may have overlooked?”

“I mean, you guys are the experts, but… I just have this unsettling feeling that something isn’t right. I don’t know, maybe I’m just paranoid after what happened to me, but… I feel weird. Like I can’t even think right, I’m just… I can’t explain it.”

“Well whatever happened, it must have been very traumatic. Could you give us any information about it?”

Dipper quickly shook his head. “No.”

“You don’t remember?”

“Oh, I remember, just… I can’t say who did it, I don’t want them to hurt me again, please don’t make me talk about it.”

“Okay, I won’t,” she said. “But if you think of anything else that might be wrong, or you want to speak to the police, let me know.” She pressed the back of her hand to his forehead, checking his temperature. “Are these red spots a birthmark?”

“Yeah.”

“It has an interesting shape. Like the big dipper.”

“Yeah, that’s why I named myself that.”

“I see. A shame that it’s covered by this scar…”

“Scar?” Dipper flinched back.

“Ah, yes… You have a scar shaped like a five-pointed star on your forehead.”

Dipper remembered. Pavonis. He groaned. “Right… one of the people who attacked me… I forgot…”

“I couldn’t imagine forgetting about something like that.”

“They had me captive for weeks, I can’t remember everything they did to me. But it was torture, plain and simple. This was just the start. I… I can’t talk about it.”

“I understand.” She gave him a sympathetic look. “How about I call your sister? She really wanted to see you awake.”

“Yeah, that sounds good.”

“I’ll do that, then. Just press the call button if you need something.” She hurried out.

Dipper looked up at the ceiling, sighing. He was so tired. But he stayed awake. He wanted to see Mabel. The image of a slashing knife cut across his vision. He winced and turned his head to the side. He could almost feel pain in his chest. Just a memory, he told himself. Don’t think about any of that.

He was nervous, though. What if Gideon changed his mind and sent Pavonis to finish the job? What if they did something magical to him that the doctors wouldn’t notice, and he never recovers? What if he dies?

Dipper shivered. No, he’ll be fine. The nurse said so. He’ll be… fine. He sighed out lowly. He hoped Mabel got here soon. He could really use a hug.

It took a while, but Mabel finally arrived. With an entourage.

“Bro-bro!” she called the moment she stepped in, running over to the bed and leaning down, hugging him tightly. It hurt but Dipper wasn’t going to complain. He was finally with his sister.

“Hey, Mabel,” he said. He looked over at the sound of more footsteps. “And… Pacifica. Hi, oh geeze, Soos? Melody? And… Melody who’s that you’re holding? Oh! Is that your baby?”

Melody smiled and nodded. “Yeah, I had her while you were still missing. We named her Carol.”

“Wow, I’ve been gone for a while…” Dipper hugged each of his friends, and laid back, already worn out.

“Where the heck have you been?” Mabel asked. “What happened to get you so messed up? That couldn’t have been an accident.”

“I can’t talk about it.”

“What? But we have to find who did it, make sure they’re arrested…”

“One was a demon,” Dipper said. “We can’t do anything about him. And the other… Look, I don’t want to talk about it, I don’t want them to hurt me again.”

“Okay, calm down, you don’t have to say anything you don’t want to,” Mabel said gently. “So… where’s Bill?”

Dipper looked away. “They… still have him. I convinced them to let me go, but they still have Bill, they’re still torturing him, I… I can’t believe I left him behind, I mean he would have wanted me to get away, but… I should have fought back, and instead, I just…” He blinked, trying to hold back tears.

“Hey, it’s okay, Bill’s strong,” Mabel assured him. “Do they have plans to let him go?”

“Eventually. They said they’ll let him go once they’ve taken all his magic. They’re… planning on essentially making him human, taking everything that had made him demon, so… he’ll be mortal, like me.”

The others murmured to each other, but Mabel didn’t pay attention. “Wow. That’s horrible.”

“Apparently whenever that kind of thing is done to an older demon, it usually drives them insane,” Dipper said quietly. “Many choose to kill themselves rather than live with the knowledge of what they lost.”

“Bill won’t do that. He has you.”

“I don’t know if he’ll want to see me again after the things I said to him.”

“I’m sure he will. He loves you.”

“I guess…” Dipper really wasn’t sure. He decided to change the subject. “But anyway, the nurse said I’ll make a full recovery, so that’s good. I’m sure I’ll be out of here before you know it.”

“I hope so. Someone’s gotta run the Mystery Shack,” she teased.

“Oh shit, yeah, who’s been taking care of it while I’m gone?” Dipper asked.

Soos raised his hand. “Me, dude. I did a lot of the tours and Melody did the cash register nearly up until she went into labor. We closed it down for a few days until the baby was born, and then got right back to it.”

“Ah man, Soos, that has to be stressful.”

“Nah it’s okay, I’d do anything for that place. We did hire a few people to help out too so it’s not that bad.”

“Well, okay. I’ll try to get back home as soon as I can.”

 

Dipper wasn’t able to leave for quite some time, though. He spent weeks in the hospital, unable to do little more but lie in bed and watch TV, sometimes reading. He had to be cleaned with sponge baths. The one time they had allowed him to sit up, he had felt so weak he had immediately laid back down. Standing seemed impossible.

He had nightmares often, reliving the trauma he had been put through, and usually woke up screaming, covered in sweat. He often thrashed, and one time he tore out his IV when he did, leading to the doctors making the decision to have him sedated at night, so he didn’t dream.

He didn’t mind. He didn’t want to see those images of his lover broken on the floor, being tortured into unconsciousness, brutally beaten and stabbed and maimed.

Dipper tried to practice magic, sometimes lifting a hand and making fire dance around on his fingers, but even that took so much effort he had to stop after a few moments. He just didn’t have the energy to spare for this. He tried to scry once, to check on Bill, but couldn’t. He was worried about him, despite everything. Did Bill hate him? If so, he deserved it.

The human still thought about him though. He missed him. And without having him around, he quickly grew depressed. He didn’t want to be here. He didn’t want to be alone. Mabel had to return to college but swore she’d visit every weekend. Soos couldn’t visit that much either because of the new baby. His other friends had jobs and lives.

Dipper was so lonely, and his thoughts tormented him if he didn’t find some way to distract himself. He felt guilty, sick, he deserved what had happened, but he would never forget any of it, he could remember how everything had felt, and sometimes even had phantom pains, intense enough to make him cringe and struggle before they faded away.

It was getting unbearable. Lonely days, regular doses of medicine, examinations, bandage changing, boring television, decent but repetitive meals in very controlled portions… Dipper wanted out. A few times he contemplated how difficult it would be to force himself out of bed. To walk over to the window. He was on the fifth floor, he knew from asking Mabel. Would jumping from that height kill him? It probably would. At least then he wouldn’t have to feel like this anymore.

With the arrival of week three, Dipper was feeling better. Physically, at least. He was stronger, more alert. He was encouraged to stretch, and they promised that he would have access to physical therapy once he was ready.

But none of that made him feel better mentally. He barely seemed to think anymore. It felt like his thoughts were in a cloud most of the time. He vaguely understood that he was depressed. He didn’t bring it up to anyone, even if they asked. He just wrote it off as a bad mood from being stuck in bed. He was believed.

Now, Dipper waited until the nurse had left, knowing she wouldn’t be back for hours. No one would be visiting today. He glanced at his IV. No one would know if he pulled it out, but he didn’t exactly want to put it back in himself. Nor was he going to risk disconnecting the heart monitor; that would be noticed.

Dipper took a breath and pushed himself up. He used the remote to raise the back of the bed higher, helping him. He tested the rails around the bed, and then figured out how to open a small space so he could swing his feet out. His head spun, and he took a moment to catch his breath. Then he let his feet touch the ground. His legs hurt, and he held tight to the rail as he shifted his weight to his feet and stood.

His legs definitely weren’t ready for the strain. They shook, and he leaned heavily onto the bed before he could collapse.

“Come on, get up,” he groaned at himself, glancing at the heart monitor. It showed his heart rate elevating. Hopefully no one came to investigate… Dipper struggled to stand, trying to ignore the pain. He grasped the pole that the monitors and drip bag attached to, finding that he could roll it around. It seemed sturdy enough. He held onto it with both hands as he took his difficult steps. He managed to make it to the window seat, and he leaned against it, aware of the sweat on his skin. He looked out the window. The sky was overcast. It was sprinkling. If it was just a little colder, it’d probably be snowing. Either way, it looked miserable out. His mind went to Bill, tormented and cold in that shack in the woods. Helpless. He whimpered, pressing his hand to the glass.

“I’m so sorry,” he said quietly. “I wanted to get away, but I didn’t want you to suffer… I’m so sorry, Bill, please forgive me…” Bill didn’t deserve forgiveness, he thought deep down, but despite everything he was still kind at heart. He had hurt someone close to him. And the pain was awful. Worse than that… he might not ever see Bill again.

There was no answering voice in his head, none of that amused laughter he was used to, no Bill telling him to lighten up and stop being so sad. He was so, terrifyingly alone now. The only voice he heard now was Pavonis’s. Taunting him. Threatening him. Calling him horrible names and reminding him of everything he’s ever done to his victims, and promising that he’ll do the same to him.

Dipper gripped his head. “No, shut up.”

 _Face it Pines, you’re pathetic. You deserve this, you deserve to suffer!_ The lash of electricity across his skin was something he would never forget, and he could almost feel and hear the sizzle of burning flesh. _Scream all you want, no one will save you!_

“You’re not here anymore, I’m free, go away!” Dipper yelled, gripping his hair tighter as he heard the cruel laughter.

_I’ll make sure you never forget this! Even when you’re free, you’ll wish for death!_

Dipper’s hands were scrabbling desperately at the latch for the window when a sharp voice shouted, “Pines!”

Dipper flinched, turning and shielding his face, squeezing his eyes shut. “Please don’t hurt me, no more, I can’t…”

There were quick footsteps, and then hands gripped his shoulders. He struggled.

“Mr. Pines, please, you shouldn’t be up. Your heart rate is too fast, and you’re hyperventilating. You need to lay down.”

Dipper opened an eye, recognizing one of the doctors who has spoken to him many times before. But he was still having a panic attack, and he took deep breaths, trying to calm down.

The doctor lifted him in an arm, and took hold of the monitors with the other hand, walking over to the bed.

Dipper gripped at his clothes, shaking as he recovered from the attack. Soon he was being laid down, and he was checked carefully.

“You aren’t in any condition to walk right now. You may have hurt yourself more doing that. I’ll have you taken for x-rays right away to see.” The doctor, who Dipper finally recalled was named Smith, looked very concerned. “What were you trying to do?”

“I just… I’m so tired of laying here, I had to do something,” Dipper tried to explain. “I uh… I wanted to look outside, so I got up to go look.”

“Why were you trying to open the window? With the temperature, I doubt you were wanting to feel the breeze.”

“I…” Dipper swallowed, cheeks hot with embarrassment. Tears pricked his eyes. “I just…”

“What were you going to do if you had gotten that window open?”

Dipper turned his face away, the tears streaming down. “I don’t want to be alive anymore.”

Smith was quiet for a moment, then sighed heavily and went over to make sure the window was latched. “Just so you know, these windows don’t open much more than about half a foot. Not enough to hurl yourself out of. And the glass is pretty thick. Dipper, I don’t want to put you on suicide watch, but I will if I have to.”

Dipper wiped at his face, but he was sobbing now, unable to stop. “You have no idea what I’ve seen, what I’ve done, what I’ve suffered. It would make you sick, how my life has been for the past year, it’s… horrifying. And these wounds, they were all given to me on purpose, I was tortured for weeks before I was finally let go, I… I’m not a good person, I don’t deserve to live!”

“Do you want me to call your sister? Or someone else you can talk to?”

Dipper sniffed. “Mabel can’t know I’m like this, it would destroy her. She knows some of what I’ve done, but I’m not letting her see me like this. I just… need to be left alone!”

“Okay, I can tell you’re upset. I’ll leave you be.” Smith walked past the bed, then hesitated. “It’s early, but if you want sleep medicine, then I could maybe…”

“Yes, do it,” Dipper said immediately. “Or even better, sedate me. Keep me drugged. I don’t want to remember any of this.”

“I can’t do that, it will be detrimental to your recovery.”

“Fuck.” Dipper flopped his head back. “I just want to die already, I’m a monster.” He raised his arm, glaring at the IV.

“If you continue to put yourself at risk, you will be restrained,” Smith warned.

“Ugh, just… either knock me out or get out,” Dipper snapped. He watched the doctor leave. Then he glared up at the ceiling. He was still crying. And in time he closed his eyes and began sobbing softly.

After a few minutes, he heard the voice of his usual nurse. “Mr. Pines, would you like a sedative to help you relax?”

“Please,” he replied without opening his eyes. He felt the prick of a needle against his skin, nothing compared to the pain he has already felt. He already felt better, knowing that soon he would be asleep. He slurred out a thank you, and she left. Within minutes, he had passed out.

 

Luckily, Dipper’s incident didn’t cause any further injury, but the staff did keep a closer eye on him after that. He underwent psychological evaluations and was diagnosed with PTSD and clinical depression. He was prescribed additional medication and was allowed counseling, though this service was limited while he was still admitted. It was recommended that he seek further therapy once discharged.

Mabel was starting to notice that he wasn’t himself now. On her next visit, she was quick to point out how awful he looked, how sad he seemed. He hardly even smiled anymore, she claimed.

“If you were stuck in a place like this, you wouldn’t smile either,” Dipper said.

“Oh, bro…” She pulled him into her arms, burying her face against his neck. “I just want you to get better. You’re strong, I know you can get through this.”

“I don’t deserve to live after everything I’ve done,” Dipper muttered.

“Don’t say that. Yes you do. All people deserve life.”

“Except for the ones I killed, apparently. Why do I get to live when they don’t? Pavonis is right, I’m a horrible person, and he should have killed me.”

“Stop it!” She squeezed him tighter. “You’re my brother and I love you, I don’t care what Bill made you do, I know there’s still good in you! Please cheer up, don’t say things like that about yourself, I…” Her shoulders shook. She was crying. “I thought I had lost you, and now I have you back, and you’re telling me you want to die! Please, I can’t lose you. You have to hold on. For me, for your family… for Bill.”

“Bill won’t want to see me again,” Dipper said. “Why would he? I betrayed him. I blamed him for everything, just so I could get away. He probably doesn’t care what happens to me.”

“Bill loves you. He’ll want to see you. I know it. I… I’m sorry for what you went through. But you can’t give up. I know my brother is strong. You’ll be back on your feet, and running the shack again… and you can play with Soos and Melody’s baby, and hang out with Bill, and give tours and learn about the supernatural, and everything will be back to normal! I promise.”

Dipper smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Sure. You’re much more optimistic than me… I guess we’ll see. I mean I’m so fucked up they have me taking at least five medicines, but… sure, things might be normal again.”

“I believe in you.” She patted his shoulder, leaning back. “I love you. You’ve got lots of people who love you. Don’t give up on them.”

“I’ll try, but this hurts so much more than you know.”

“I’m sorry.” Mabel ruffled his hair. “You’ve been through so much. But you’re awesome. You will get better. Or else.”

Dipper chuckled. “Or else what?”

“Or I’ll kill you myself,” she declared.

“By all means, go for it. I’d feel better knowing you did it.”

“And I wouldn’t make it painless.”

“Even better.”

Mabel lightly smacked the side of his head. “Okay you sad Sally, I gotta go. Stay alive until next time I see you, okay? You better stay alive. That’s a challenge.”

Well, Dipper couldn’t really say no to her. “Fine. I’ll see you in a week.” He waved goodbye as she walked out the door. Then he laid back. “You really do make a good case for keeping me alive…”

 

Dipper’s mood didn’t improve much. But he supposed he wasn’t getting worse. He did his best to cooperate with the doctors and nurses, he took his medicine, he tried to eat everything they brought him. He was really only living for Mabel at this point. Him dying would destroy her. He couldn’t do that to her, as much as he wanted to just end it.

It was one day nearly into the fourth week when Dipper felt a kind of shiver go down his spine, a tug that seemed to resonate in his very soul. He sat up, looking around. “Bill?” The name slipped out without thought. He was silent, but no response came.

Dipper slowly laid back, trying again to scry. He remembered how, but he was still weak. He hasn’t been able to meditate and store away magical energy. He had to pull from the air around him, and only then did he get a brief flash. He saw Bill, standing with his hand on a wall, breathing heavily and coughing up blood. He looked exhausted, and while the image disappeared quickly, Dipper could see the gashes covering his body, spots where skin was torn off completely, his limbs didn’t look right. But he wasn’t wearing his collar.

Dipper focused, trying to keep watching. Bill was speaking to someone. He couldn’t hear what he was saying. But he recognized the hand that gripped his chin, and his awareness widened, allowing him to see Pavonis. Just the sight of him made him flinch.

The other demon said something, and Bill responded quickly. Pavonis glanced to the side, and then nodded. He grabbed Bill carelessly around the waist and picked him up, and the two disappeared. It took Dipper a moment to realize that they had left, and not that his spell had failed. He ended it anyway, though.

Dipper laid back, sighing. So Bill was finally being let go, it seemed. Where would Pavonis take him? Was he going to just drop him somewhere, or was he going to finish the job? Dipper had no idea. Gideon had said they weren’t going to kill either of them, but… The human body can only take so much. What if Bill’s vessel died?

Would Bill be able to get to a hospital in time? He needed urgent medical care.

But there was nothing Dipper could do but wait. No doubt Bill would be brought here once found. He may hear about it soon.

Just in case though, he called in a nurse. “Hey, my boyfriend was put through all the same stuff as me, so if he gets brought in, could you let me know? His name is Bill Cipher.”

“All right, I’ll keep an ear out for him.”

Still, it was the next day before Dipper heard anything.

Dr. Smith came in to give the news. “So a William Cipher was checked in late last night. He underwent emergency treatment and is currently recovering in the ICU, but he’ll need further surgery. So far he hasn’t woken up.”

“Can I see him?”

“I don’t think he should have visitors, he has pneumonia and it’s very contagious.”

“I don’t care, I’ll wear a mask, I just want to see him. Can’t you get me a wheelchair or something? Please, I have to at least look at him, I… I have to know.”

Smith sighed but agreed. “I can let you in for a few minutes, but don’t expect him to be responsive. He’s malnourished, most of his bones are broken, and he required several blood transfusions. We’re not expecting him to wake up for days. Which is for the best, considering all the work that needs to be done.”

“That’s fine, I can talk to him when he does wake up, right now I just want to see my partner.”

Smith went to get a wheelchair, and he helped Dipper into it. Once he had monitoring equipment hooked up, he took him out.

Dipper had to admit, it was nice being outside that room. It smelled cleaner out here. It was bright and there were people, who smiled at him and said good morning.

They went to a different floor, having to pass through a door that was opened remotely. Dipper was handed a mask and told to put it over his mouth and nose. He did so, and washed his hands with hand sanitizer too. Then he was taken into one of the rooms.

The first thing Dipper noticed was far more monitoring equipment, and thus more mechanical noises. There were clicks and beeps, and other noises he wasn’t sure of the function of. The lights were low.

He swallowed, but gestured for the doctor to take him up to the side of the bed. He was afraid of what he might see, but he had to know.

He was rolled closer, and after taking a breath, he leaned forward to look at the bed’s occupant.

Dipper exhaled slowly. Okay. He didn’t look… too bad. Bill’s eye was closed, the other covered by a patch. His head was wrapped in bandages, as were his arms. His arms had heavier bracing in some spots though, and there were plenty of tubes hooked into him. The rest of him was under a sheet, but what little skin Dipper could see was pale, blotchy.

“He looks… okay,” Dipper said, laying his hand gently over Bill’s.

“Underneath those bandages it’s a different story,” Smith replied. “He’s lucky to be alive. He’ll be here much longer than you.”

Dipper ran his thumb over the top of Bill’s hand, feeling guilty. “I’m sorry, Bill… You trusted me and I just threw you under the bus, I’m so sorry… you didn’t deserve all this, or at least, I should have gone through it with you.” His eyes watered. He leaned forward, pressing his head against Bill’s chest. He could feel a hard cast underneath the fabric. “I’m so sorry, please don’t die, I love you… Bill please, I need you. Wake up, come back to me… Bill…”

“We’ll let you know when he does wake up, but for now, he’s better off being asleep.”

Dipper sniffed, leaning back and looking at Bill’s face. He caressed his cheek. The jawbone was sharp and defined, malnutrition giving his face a gaunt appearance. There was almost no fat left on his body, for sure. He looked at the eye patch, stroking under it. Bill had taken that injury without saying a word. His eye was cut out and he glared at Pavonis the whole time. Didn’t give him the satisfaction of a scream. Dipper thought it was really brave.

“I love you,” Dipper said again. “And if you hate me, I understand.”

Bill’s brows seemed to crease, and he took a more labored breath, body shaking a bit. Then his eye opened a slit. “I don’t hate you, you traitorous little shit.”

“Bill!” Dipper dropped his hand, grabbing Bill’s. “You’re awake!”

“I could never ignore your voice. Ugh I feel like absolute death, this is the worst I’ve ever felt, I can’t even… oh, right. Welcome to mortality, Bill. Fuck Pavonis with a rusty fork.”

“You survived, though. I was so worried about you, you’re all I could think about. I’ve been so depressed, but now you’re here, things will be okay.”

“Yeah. Okay. Kid you do realize what happened to me, right? They changed me, I’m stuck in this body, I’m… not immortal anymore, I can’t get into the Mindscape, I’m just… I’m human!”

“It’s okay, Bill. You’ll be okay.”

“Of course I will. Physically. But without my powers, knowing I only have like sixty years or so, compared to the eternity I used to have, I… oh Lucifer, I’m going to die. I’m human and I’m going to die one day. Dipper, I don’t want to die!” Bill coughed, and started to move his arms, only to cringe and still them. He moved his tongue around. “What is in my mouth?”

“There’s a breathing tube going down your nostrils, you can probably feel it at the back of your throat,” Smith explained. “Mr. Cipher, that you’re awake at all is a miracle, but you seem delusional. You should go back to sleep.”

“Later,” Bill said. He glanced at the man, and then looked at Dipper. “I’m surprised you’re still here.”

“They messed me up bad.”

“Me too. Well, at least we’re suffering together.”

“I should have stayed with you. But I was so tired of it, I was ready to do whatever it took to be free… I’m sorry.”

“No, I understand… You’re only human, and they broke you. I really expected it sooner. It just… hurt, what you said.”

“You know I never actually wanted to join you,” Dipper said quietly, leaning in so Smith couldn’t hear. “I fell in love with you, and I enjoyed hunting people with you, but… You changed me. Now I realize again it was wrong. I told them the truth. And they let me go. And I’m never doing any of that again.”

“It’s just as well. With me losing all my power, having my demon rights stripped away, all my deals are now void. You aren’t obligated to serve me any more. You’re free.”

“Free… okay. Then I’m never hurting anyone. No more payment collecting. No more.”

“Fine. I won’t be doing it either. I have no way of tracking them down anymore. And my knowledge is now all confined to this tiny human brain, which is… confusing, to say the least. I can’t remember people as clearly anymore. So I’m done too.”

“Good.” Dipper wanted to kiss him, but didn’t want to risk getting sick. “But I do want to stay with you. I still love you.”

“I love you too. And I’m sorry for hurting you so much. Demons and humans really aren’t healthy for each other.”

“Good thing you’re a human too now.”

“Yeah,” Bill said bitterly. He sighed and slumped back. “Everything hurts and I have to deal with it. Thanks for visiting, but I’m going to go back to sleep. Waking up to talk to you was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. See ya later.”

“Okay.” Dipper watched him until he passed out, then looked at the doctor. “We can leave now.”

Smith wheeled him out, having him wash his hands again, and tossing the masks into a biohazard container. “I didn’t think he would wake up. Must have been your voice.”

“Guess so.” Dipper glanced back. Despite how sick and hurt they both were, he wouldn’t mind curling up with Bill and falling asleep. Bill was always so warm, and he would shift and let Dipper get as comfortable as he wanted, even if that required Bill to tuck his own limbs into awkward positions. But the demon never cared, just wanting to make his partner happy.

Still, Dipper felt better knowing that Bill still cared about him. He smiled more, and insisted on being allowed to sit up and even try to do some exercise, or what little he could do without hurting himself. He wanted to be able to see Bill without being wheeled there.

To his relief, Bill was moved out of intensive care after about a week. They said he had an amazing will, and he was very hardy, cooperating with the doctors on every test and procedure. They admired his optimism and said he’ll probably be out in no time.

Dipper wondered if Bill had any magic left. Sometimes he almost thought he could hear his voice in his mind, feel his presence, but… he wasn’t sure.

When Dipper was healthy enough to finally be allowed out of bed, given a cane he could walk with, he immediately went to surprise Bill. His steps were difficult and he was being followed by a couple staff members just in case he fell, but he was determined. He made slow but steady progress through the hospital, until he reached the door leading to Bill’s room. Taking a breath, Dipper turned to his nurse. “Could you hold this? I want to look cool when I walk in.”

“I wouldn’t advise trying to walk without support,” she replied.

“I’ll only need to take a couple steps and stand there, I can do it. I promise I’ll be fine.”

She hesitantly agreed, taking the cane. She couldn’t force him to use it, after all.

Dipper immediately wanted it back, his legs hurt so bad, but he managed to ignore the pain long enough to open the door and walk inside. “Hey Bill!”

“Hey, Pine Tree- wait a minute.” Bill sat up, staring at him. “Are you… are you walking?”

Dipper grinned. “Yep! Figured I’d come say hello.”

“It’s been so long since I’ve been able to see you up and about, I…” Bill’s eye watered. “I’m so proud of you.”

Dipper had planned on grabbing his cane back, but hearing the other’s voice choke up, he went to lean over him, hugging him. “It was nothing really, they’re taking good care of me here.”

“No, I’m proud of you for not giving up. I really thought that after everything we went through, with how traumatized you are, you’d kill yourself, but… you’re still alive, still fighting. That’s what makes me happy.”

“I thought about it. But I’m not going to. Living hurts. But it’s worth doing if I have you.” Dipper gently kissed him.

Bill reached up, brushing his hand through Dipper’s hair. “Yeah.” His thumb stroked over the star-shaped scar on the other’s forehead. “We’re both broken, but at least we’re broken together.”


End file.
